While I am principally concerned with politics on the national level, occasionally a local race catches my eye. On Tuesday night Staten Island Democrat Matt Titone won a special election for state assembly which was held in order to fill John Lavelle’s seat after Lavell’s unexpected death in January. Staten Island is perhaps the most Republican place in the City; voters there were instrumental in ensuring the election of the last two Republican mayors, Rudy Giuliani and Mike Bloomberg. The Island is divided in its party affiliations with the liberal north shore usually siding with the Democrats against the south shore’s Republicans. It is an interesting place to practice both law and politics since despite the Island's soaring population, its institutions are run as if the place was still the same small fishing village it was before the Verranzano bridge was built. Personal relationships and connections are everything here and Staten Island natives are preferred in the candidate selection process over more recent interlopers. My friend always jokes that her obituary in the Staten Island Advance will probably identify her as a "long-time resident" rather than a native, despite the fact that she's lived there since she was two years old. That's small town life in the big city I guess.
A small race like this is always exciting because the results can be directly influenced by the turn-out effort. For example, with 100 percent of the votes counted, Mr. Titone received 2,888 votes, his Republican challenger Rose Margarella 1,846 and independent candidate Kelvin Alexander 1,122. That means the total number of voters pulling the lever in this election was 5,856. Granted Democrats in the north shore have a 3-to-1 registration advantage over Republicans, but the presence of Alexander in the race was a concern. Alexander, an African American, had the potential to split the Democratic vote thus allowing Margarella to become the first Republican to occupy the seat in recent history.
Titone is the boro’s first openly gay elected official. While acknowledging the historical significance of his election, Titone ran on education and hopes tofind ways to increase health care financing in the borough, reduce class sizes in the Assembly district’s schools and make prekindergarten programs available for all 4-year-olds.
The Patriot attended the victory celebration at the Staten Catering Hall and enjoyed rubbing shoulders with the local politicos. The Democratic clubs on the north shore of are full of engaged and interesting people. Hopefully an invasion of the south shore can be planned in time for the 2008 election. Congratulations Matt!
A small race like this is always exciting because the results can be directly influenced by the turn-out effort. For example, with 100 percent of the votes counted, Mr. Titone received 2,888 votes, his Republican challenger Rose Margarella 1,846 and independent candidate Kelvin Alexander 1,122. That means the total number of voters pulling the lever in this election was 5,856. Granted Democrats in the north shore have a 3-to-1 registration advantage over Republicans, but the presence of Alexander in the race was a concern. Alexander, an African American, had the potential to split the Democratic vote thus allowing Margarella to become the first Republican to occupy the seat in recent history.
Titone is the boro’s first openly gay elected official. While acknowledging the historical significance of his election, Titone ran on education and hopes tofind ways to increase health care financing in the borough, reduce class sizes in the Assembly district’s schools and make prekindergarten programs available for all 4-year-olds.
The Patriot attended the victory celebration at the Staten Catering Hall and enjoyed rubbing shoulders with the local politicos. The Democratic clubs on the north shore of are full of engaged and interesting people. Hopefully an invasion of the south shore can be planned in time for the 2008 election. Congratulations Matt!
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