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QC10272016

FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.qns.com october 27, 2016 • The Queens Courier 27 ‘16 ELECTION GUIDE s With eyes on leadership, Schumer battles a ‘Long’-shot for re-election BY ROBERT POZARYCKI rpozarycki@qns.com @robbpoz Senator Charles Schumer is seeking his fourth term in the Senate on Election Day, and he has his sights set on an even powerful position in the new year. New York’s senior senator Photos via Wikimedia Commons Senator Charles Schumer is facing Republican Wendy Long in the Nov. 8 election for Schumer’s Senate seat. 11 Assembly candidates in Queens don’t have an opponent BY ROBERT POZARYCKI rpozarycki@qns.com/@robbpoz Most every contest on the Election Day ballot has at least two different options, but in a number of Assembly Districts in Queens, there’s no contest. Eleven incumbent Assembly members in the “World’s Borough” are not facing an opponent on Nov. 8, ensuring they are automatically re-elected to another two-year term in Albany. All of the candidates are Democrats and, in most cases, are running on other party lines. In one case, Assemblyman Michael Simanowitz is running on the Democratic, Republican and Conservative lines to represent the 27th Assembly District (areas of Briarwood, College Point, Flushing, Forest Hills, Fresh Meadows, Jamaica, Kew Gardens, Kew Gardens Hills, Rego Park, Richmond Hill and Whitestone). The other automatic winners on Election Night are as follows: Assemblyman Ed Braunstein of the 26th District (areas of Bayside, Bellerose, Douglaston, Flushing, Glen Oaks, Little Neck and Whitestone, also running on the Working Families party line); Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi of the 28th District (areas of Forest Hills, Glendale, Kew Gardens, Maspeth, Middle Village, Rego Park, Richmond Hill and Ridgewood, also running on the Working Families party line); Assemblywoman Alicia Hyndman of the 29th District (areas of Cambria Heights, Jamaica, Jamaica Estates, Laurelton, Rosedale and St. Albans, also running on the Working Families party line); Assemblywoman Michele Titus of the 31st District (areas of John F. Kennedy Airport, Rosedale, the eastern Rockaways, South Jamaica, South Ozone Park and Springfield Gardens, also running on the Working Families party line); Assemblywoman Vivian Cook of the 32nd District (areas of Jamaica, Richmond Hill, Rochdale, South Jamiaca and South Ozone Park, running on the Democratic line only); Assemblyman Michael DenDekker of the 34th District (areas of Corona, East Elmhurst, Jackson Heights and Woodside, running on the Democratic line only); Assemblyman Jeffrion Aubry of the 35th District (areas of Corona, East Elmhurst, Elmhurst, Flushing, LaGuardia Airport and Rego Park, running on the Democratic line only); Assemblywoman Aravella Simotas of the 36th District (areas of Astoria, East Elmhurst and Long Island City, also running on the Working Families party line); Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan of the 37th District (areas of Astoria, Long Island City, Maspeth, Middle Village, Ridgewood, Sunnyside and Woodside, also running on the Working Families party line); and Assemblyman Francisco Moya of the 39th District (areas of Corona, Elmhurst, Jackson Heights and Woodside, also running on the Working Families party line). Each Assembly candidate serves two-year terms; they will be on the ballot again in 2018. has a comfortable lead in most polls of his race against Republican challenger Wendy Long, who four years ago lost her bid to unseat the Empire State’s junior senator, Kirsten Gillibrand, by 40 points. Real Clear Politics has Schumer besting long by a poll average of 36 points. Should Schumer prevail on Election Night as projected, he figures to be the favorite to succeed outgoing Nevada Senator Harry Reid as the Democrats’ leader in the Senate. Depending on the outcome of the 33 other Senate races nationwide, Schumer could wind up as majority leader should the Democrats hold the majority of Senate seats when the 115th Congress convenes on Jan. 3, 2017. As majority leader, Schumer would not only be the Senate Democrats’ primary voice, but he would also be able to manage all business coming before the Senate. This includes scheduling votes and overseeing the various committees. This includes matters regarding nominations to the Supreme Court, as demonstrated by the current Senate Majority Leader, Republican Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. McConnell has refused to allow confirmation hearings for Justice Merrick Garland, President Obama’s nominee to fill the Supreme Court vacancy left by the late Antonin Scalia. Both Reid and Illinois Senator Dick Durbin, who serves as the Senate’s minority whip, have already endorsed Schumer as the Senate Democrats’ leader in the next session. Long, meanwhile, is seeking to deny Schumer such a dream job. She previously served as press secretary to two former Republican senators and was a legal advisor during Mitt Romney’s first presidential campaign in 2007. On her website, the staunchly conservative Long makes it clear that she’s running to prevent the staunchly liberal Schumer from becoming leader of the Senate, and that she’s supporting Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. Two third-party candidates, who happen to be from Brooklyn, are also challenging Schumer: Robin Lavern Wilson of the Green Party and Alex Merced of the Libertarian Party.


QC10272016
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