The Daily Q: Which members of the state legislature won their seats in special elections?

Posted December 21, 2011 By Yolanne Almanzar

Which members of the state legislature won their seats in special elections?

Minutes before State Senator Carl Kruger pleaded guilty to federal corruption charges yesterday, he resigned from the seat he held after winning a special election in 1994. Now, Gov. Cuomo is expected to announce another special election to choose a new senator for Brooklyn’s 27th Senate District.

“Special elections” are called that because they don’t take place on Election Day in November, but they are anything but rare in New York. A high-profile special election this year put Republican Bob Turner into a historically Democratic congressional seat vacated by Rep. Anthony Weiner.

Some reformers have criticized special elections because of how candidates are nominated: instead of holding a primary election in which voters choose their preferred candidates, parties choose their own nominees. Because most voters in New York City are registered Democrats and typically vote along party lines, a Democratic party nomination virtually assures in most districts that its candidate will win.

We want to know: Which New York City members of the State Senate and Assembly have won their seats in special elections? And has their fast track to a seat in Albany, without a primary race first, affected how they serve the public?

If you have information or insights to share, please comment below, write us, or tweet to @thenyworld.

What we heard

It turns out special elections are not so special for those who win them. As Citizens Union determined in a report earlier this year titled “Circumventing Democracy,” one in four legislators arriving in Albany for this past year’s legislative session had first been voted into office in a special election.

For state Assembly members, it was nearly one in three, while for the Senate special elections had filled about one in six seats.

Alex Camarda, director of public policy and advocacy for Citizens Union, said that while some highly qualified representatives have been chosen through special election, too often the process creates what he calls a “top-down system” that leaves legislators more accountable to party leaders than the public. “It certainly makes it harder to buck the party leadership because they feel they owe some debt of responsibility for having been nominated in the way they were,” he said.

Low voter turnout further distances the public from the representatives elected in their name. According to the report, on average, just 12 percent of voters participated in special elections since April 2007.

A bill sponsored by State Senator Daniel Squadron and Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries would replace special elections with something that resembles the system already in place for filling vacant seats at City Council. Under this nonpartisan system, candidates circulate independent petitions and those with enough signatures – 750 for Assembly nominees and 1,500 for Senate – make it onto the ballot.

Paul Newell, Democratic District Leader for Manhattan’s 64th Assembly District, says he’s not familiar with the bill but that something has to be done to improve the process of filling vacant seats. “Right now, it’s a terrible system,” he said. “You get less dynamic, less community rooted candidates and you don’t have democracy.”

The New York State Democratic Committee did not return a call by our deadline.

The following 23 Assembly members from New York City (out of 65 seats) and 2 state senators (out of a sitting 26) took office in special elections:

Assembly

Carmen Arroyo, 1994 (Mott Haven, Hunts Point)

Jeffrion Aubry, 1992 (Corona)

Dan Quart, 2011 (Midtown, Upper East Side)

William Boyland, Jr., 2003 (Brownsville)

Alec Brook-Krasny, 2006 (Coney Island, Fort Hamilton)

Karim Camara , 2005 (Crown Heights, Prospect Lefferts Garden)

Michael DenDekker, 2008 (East Elmhurst)

Jeffrey Dinowitz, 1994 (Riverdale, Woodlawn)

Vanessa Gibson, 2009 (Highbridge, Morris Heights)

Andrew Hevesi, 2005 (Forest Hills)

Micah Kellner, 2007 (Roosevelt Island, Upper East Side)

Rory Lancman, 2006 (Hillcrest)

Alan Maisel, 2006 (Canarsie, Mill Basin)

Michael Miller, 2009 (Glendale)

Annette Robinson, 2002 (Bedford-Stuyvesant)

Linda Rosenthal, 2006 (Upper West Side)

Matthew Titone, 2007 (Port Richmond, Stapleton)

Michele Titus, 2002 (Far Rockaway)

Lou Tobacco, 2007 (Great Kills, Tottenville)

David Weprin, 2009 (Holliswood)

Marcos Crespo, 2009 (Morrisania, Soundview)

Phillip Goldfeder, 2011 (Far Rockaway)

Rafael Espinal, 2011 (Bushwick, East New York)

Senate

José Peralta, 2010 (Jackson Heights)

Malcolm Smith, 2000 (St. Albans)

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<h1>The Daily Q: Which members of the state legislature won their seats in special elections?</h1><h3>Which members of the state legislature won their seats in special elections?</h3>
<a onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.thenewyorkworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/dailyQ2-01.jpg');" href="http://www.thenewyorkworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/dailyQ2-01.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-2600" title="dailyQ2-01" src="http://www.thenewyorkworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/dailyQ2-01.jpg" alt="" width="105" height="105" /></a>
Minutes before State Senator Carl Kruger <a onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.nypost.com/p/news/local/crybaby_sen_going_to_jail_bkR7LPJl5V6ZolXmiIQPDN');" href="http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/crybaby_sen_going_to_jail_bkR7LPJl5V6ZolXmiIQPDN">pleaded guilty to federal corruption charges yesterday</a>, he <a onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.nypost.com/r/nypost/2011/12/20/media/Carl_Kruger_resignation_letter.pdf');" href="http://www.nypost.com/r/nypost/2011/12/20/media/Carl_Kruger_resignation_letter.pdf">resigned</a> from the seat he held after winning a special election in 1994. Now, Gov. Cuomo is expected to announce another special election to choose a new senator for Brooklyn’s 27th Senate District.
“Special elections” are called that because they don’t take place on Election Day in November, but they are anything but rare in New York. A high-profile special election this year put Republican Bob Turner into a historically Democratic congressional seat vacated by Rep. Anthony Weiner.
Some reformers have criticized special elections because of how candidates are nominated: instead of holding a primary election in which voters choose their preferred candidates, parties choose their own nominees. Because most voters in New York City are registered Democrats and typically vote along party lines, a Democratic party nomination virtually assures in most districts that its candidate will win.
We want to know: Which New York City members of the State Senate and Assembly have won their seats in special elections? And has their fast track to a seat in Albany, without a primary race first, affected how they serve the public?
If you have information or insights to share, please comment below, <a onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/mailto/nyworld@thenewyorkworld.com');" href="mailto:nyworld@thenewyorkworld.com">write us</a>, or tweet to @thenyworld.
 
<h3>What we heard</h3>
It turns out special elections are not so special for those who win them. As Citizens Union determined in a <a onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.citizensunion.org/www/cu/site/hosting/Reports/CU_CircumventingDemocracyReport_June2011.pdf');" href="http://www.citizensunion.org/www/cu/site/hosting/Reports/CU_CircumventingDemocracyReport_June2011.pdf">report</a> earlier this year titled “Circumventing Democracy,” one in four legislators arriving in Albany for this past year’s legislative session had first been voted into office in a special election.
For state Assembly members, it was nearly one in three, while for the Senate special elections had filled about one in six seats.
Alex Camarda, director of public policy and advocacy for Citizens Union, said that while some highly qualified representatives have been chosen through special election, too often the process creates what he calls a “top-down system” that leaves legislators more accountable to party leaders than the public. “It certainly makes it harder to buck the party leadership because they feel they owe some debt of responsibility for having been nominated in the way they were,” he said.
Low voter turnout further distances the public from the representatives elected in their name. According to the report, on average, just 12 percent of voters participated in special elections since April 2007.
A <a onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/open.nysenate.gov/legislation/bill/S26-2011');" href="http://open.nysenate.gov/legislation/bill/S26-2011">bill</a> sponsored by State Senator Daniel Squadron and Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries would replace special elections with something that resembles the system already in place for filling vacant seats at City Council. Under this nonpartisan system, candidates circulate independent petitions and those with enough signatures – 750 for Assembly nominees and 1,500 for Senate – make it onto the ballot.
Paul Newell, Democratic District Leader for Manhattan’s 64th Assembly District, says he’s not familiar with the bill but that something has to be done to improve the process of filling vacant seats. “Right now, it’s a terrible system,” he said. “You get less dynamic, less community rooted candidates and you don’t have democracy.”
The New York State Democratic Committee did not return a call by our deadline.
 
The following 23 Assembly members from New York City (out of 65 seats) and 2 state senators (out of a sitting 26) took office in special elections:
Assembly
Carmen Arroyo, 1994 (Mott Haven, Hunts Point)
Jeffrion Aubry, 1992 (Corona)
Dan Quart, 2011 (Midtown, Upper East Side)
William Boyland, Jr., 2003 (Brownsville)
Alec Brook-Krasny, 2006 (Coney Island, Fort Hamilton)
Karim Camara , 2005 (Crown Heights, Prospect Lefferts Garden)
Michael DenDekker, 2008 (East Elmhurst)
Jeffrey Dinowitz, 1994 (Riverdale, Woodlawn)
Vanessa Gibson, 2009 (Highbridge, Morris Heights)
Andrew Hevesi, 2005 (Forest Hills)
Micah Kellner, 2007 (Roosevelt Island, Upper East Side)
Rory Lancman, 2006 (Hillcrest)
Alan Maisel, 2006 (Canarsie, Mill Basin)
Michael Miller, 2009 (Glendale)
Annette Robinson, 2002 (Bedford-Stuyvesant)
Linda Rosenthal, 2006 (Upper West Side)
Matthew Titone, 2007 (Port Richmond, Stapleton)
Michele Titus, 2002 (Far Rockaway)
Lou Tobacco, 2007 (Great Kills, Tottenville)
David Weprin, 2009 (Holliswood)
Marcos Crespo, 2009 (Morrisania, Soundview)
Phillip Goldfeder, 2011 (Far Rockaway)
Rafael Espinal, 2011 (Bushwick, East New York)
 
Senate
José Peralta, 2010 (Jackson Heights)
Malcolm Smith, 2000 (St. Albans)

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