1 Down, 7 to go. NY, Anti-Marriage Equality Senator to Retire
From Manhattan Young Democrats, a list of the 8 Democrats who voted against Marriage Equality:
10. Shirley Huntley, D-NYC (Jamaica)
12. George Onorato, D-NYC (Astoria)
13. Hiram Monserrate, D-NYC (Jackson Heights)
15. Joseph Addabbo, Jr., D-NYC (Ozone Park)
27. Carl Kruger, D-NYC (Brooklyn)
32. Rubén Díaz, D-NYC (Soundview)
48. Darrel Aubertine, D-Upstate (Cape Vincent)
58. William Stachowski, D-Upstate (Hamburg)
The second name on the list, George Onorato will retire, rather than be primaried:
82-year old State Senator George Onorato will not run for re-election this year. Onorato voted against marriage equality last year, and part of the reason for his stepping aside is equality advocates threatening to field a primary candidate against him.
That leaves 7 other Democratic State Senators who voted against equality last year.
Looks like there’s one candidate already thinking of running in his place — Assemblyman Michael Gianaris.
One Senator at a time. A threat of a primary is the way to go.
Senate Democrats were anxious to prevent a primary between Onorato and Gianaris, but just as interested in harnessing the assemblyman’s prodigious fund-raising skills for their upcoming battle with the GOP for control of the chamber.
Gianaris, 39, was elected to the Assembly in 2000. He raised more than $2 million for a short-lived state attorney general run in 2006 and was the state Democratic Party’s finance chairman in 2006.
Gianaris is someone who can bring the money in and a supporter of marriage equality. Way to go, Queens! (How can you be from a place called, “Queens” and not support gay marriage?)
(H/T to Andrea-thanks for the heads-up)
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