Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb?

As he shifts gears from dogged opposition leader to congressional candidate, the big question is whether Assemblyman Jim Tedisco will vacate his post as Assembly Minority Leader. His current plans are to perform both tasks simultaneously, but he may change his mind eventually. If he is elected to Congress or chooses to leave the Republican Party’s top spot in the Assembly, it appears that Assemblyman Brian Kolb of the 129th district is likely to take his place. If this were to occur, it would be great news for Central and Western New York, as the 129th district covers parts of Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, Cortland and Ontario counties.

WWDGD?

One-time congressional candidate David Gay appears likely to make another run for elective office. He has been making a lot of noise on the CNYPolitics forum, where he is a frequent commenter (CrashMRTNZ), including a post where he discusses his qualifications and his politics.

He appears willing to run for either the County Legislature or the Syracuse Common Council later this year. His home address would place him in the 16th District of the Legislature and the 1st Common Council District, currently held by Democrats Sam Laguzza and Michael Heagerty, respectively. I expect that he will make a go for one of these two seats, though running for an At-Large seat on the Common Council is not out of the question since term limits and the aspirations of the current seat-holders will leve three of the four seats open. Gay hints at an announcement within the next few days or weeks so keep checking back.

GOP Picks Tedisco to Run in NY-20

Party leaders in the ten counties represented by New York’s 20th Congressional District gathered today and selected Assembly Minority Leader Jim Tedisco as their candidate for the seat being vacated by new Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. After receiving the endorsement of the Saratoga County GOP, his selection was a done deal. No word yet from the Democrats on who their candidate will be. Stay tuned. (This district is outside of Central New York, but I will keep my eye on the special election for you anyway.)

We Have a New Senator

(UPDATE: Notice Syracuse Mayor Matt Driscoll's prime front row spot and contrast it with Congressman Dan Maffei fidgeting in the back.)

Later today, Congresswoman Kirsten Gillibrand will be sworn in as New York State’s junior senator. Of all the candidates mentioned for this seat, Gov. Paterson’s pick was the best possible choice for Central and Upstate New York. Kirsten Gillibrand will be an asset for the region in the U.S. Senate if her voting record travels with her to the upper chamber. Gillibrand voted against the bailout, has a 100% rating from the NRA, supports the building of a security barrier on our southern border (with Mexico, not New Jersey), wants English as the official language and opposes amnesty for illegal immigrants. She is also pro-choice, supports stem cell research and opposes efforts to partially privatize Social Security.

The last time a New Yorker from outside of the five boroughs became Senator was in 1968 when Republican Charles Goodell was appointed to fill a vacancy upon Sen. Robert Kennedy’s death. Goodell was defeated when he stood for election two years later. Will history repeat itself? She is already being threatened with a primary for the 2010 special election due to her conservative views on several major issues. Polling shows that she has higher favorability ratings from Republicans than from Democrats so it will be interesting to see what happens in two years.

Another Candidate for Common Council President

As expected, At-Large Councilor Bill Ryan has officially entered the race for Common Council President. He will face fellow At-Large Councilor Van Robinson for his party’s nomination.

I Have Returned

I’ve been out for a week, but I have returned. I’m gearing up for a few posts for the next two or three days regarding recent developments from the last week. Updates include a candidate revealing intentions to run for Syracuse Common Council President and information about Congressman Maffei's committee assignments. Oh, and New York State gets a new senator.

It's Hard to Keep Up

The hits just keep on coming. Now, County Legislator Bill Kinne wants a piece of the action. Add him to the list of Democrats considering a run for mayor.

The Syracuse Democrat Shuffle

Let the games begin! Two current Democrat members of the Syracuse Common Council (Council President Bea Gonzalez and Councilor-At-Large Stephanie Miner) have announced their intentions to run for mayor this year (plus the possiblility of a run by Syracuse City Auditor Phil LaTessa). They will likely be joined by a third current councilor (Pat Hogan) and possibly even a former councilor (Joe Nicoletti).

As Bea Gonzalez vacates her seat as Common Council President to run for mayor, expect other common councilors to jump on the opportunity to run for that seat as well. Councilor-At-Large Van Robinson has already announced his intentions to run and is expected to be joined by fellow Councilor-At-Large Bill Ryan.

The Common Council’s sole Republican member, Ryan McMahon, appears likely to run for re-election to his current seat rather than seek higher office. As a result, while the Democrats prepare to battle each other for their party’s nomination for Mayor and Common Council President, the Republicans remain out of the picture for now, but don’t expect that to last. Retiring Syracuse Fire Chief John Cowin says that GOP officials have contacted him about running for mayor and he is considering it. Rumors abound that State Senator John DeFrancisco will opt to leave the State Senate now that his party is in the minority and may run for mayor. He seems likely to retire, especially now that his colleague Dave Valesky has replaced him as the region’s go-to guy in the State Senate, but the notion that he will run for mayor is likely exaggerated.

Expect to see some Republican faces from the past emerge as contenders. MACNY President Randy Wolken? Former Syracuse Parks & Recreation Commissioner Otis Jennings? Ron Paul supporter David Gay? Only time will tell.

Dan Maffei's Big Payback to Big Labor

In one of his first official acts as a congressman, Dan Maffei has co-sponsored the Orwellian-sounding Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA). If passed, this piece of legislation would remove secret ballot protections from union elections. Employees would need to sign a card publicly revealing their intentions. This would allow union representatives to know which employees do not support the formation of a union in their workplace, enabling unions to use intimidation and other tactics to coerce those employees into signing. EFCA is Big Labor’s top legislative priority. If EFCA passes, the AFL-CIO and related unions will be able to pressure their way into workplace environments that are currently not represented by unions, thereby consolidating their stranglehold over American workers. Why would Dan Maffei co-sponsor such an undemocratic bill that would strip workers of their right to secret ballot? The answer is simple. Big Labor and its assocaites funded Maffei’s campaign with hundreds of thousands of dollars and mobilized its members in order to get him elected. Now, they want their payback and Maffei is in their debt. During his campaign, Dan Maffei promised that he would stand up to special interests in Washington, but the truth is that Maffei is deep in their pockets. Expect to see more of this from our newly-minted congressman.

Congratulations, Senator Valesky

In its inaugural post, The CNY Watch would like to extend its congratulations to State Senator Dave Valesky for being elevated to the post of Vice President Pro-Tem of the New York State Senate. We hope that his new position in the Senate leadership will help refocus Albany’s efforts on economic development and revitalization of Central and Upstate New York. In addition, we are encouraged by the new bipartisan reform committee that Valesky is set to co-chair, especially in the wake of the report from the Brennan Center that still describes the legislative process in New York as “dysfunctional” and “broken.” Best of luck, Senator. You’ll need it.