All of the candidates endorsed by Local 237 ran successfully in the November 8 General Election, including incumbent Democrats Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum, City Comptroller Bill Thompson, Queens Borough President Helen Marshall, Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion and Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz. All of them defeated their rivals by a landslide.

On Staten Island, Republican incumbent James P. Molinaro edged out his Democratic rival John V. Luisi. Meanwhile, Manhattan welcomed a new Borough President in Assemblyman Scott Stringer, who defeated three opponents to occupy the position vacated by C. Virginia Fields. Fields ran unsuccessfully for mayor in the September primary election after being term-limited out of office.


City Council Races

All the New York City Council candidates supported by the union won quite handily to serve four year terms. The election saw the addition of six new faces to that legislative body, and all are Democrats.

District 4, Upper East Side – Dan Garodnick replaces Eva Moskowitz, who ran unsuccessfully for Manhattan Borough President;

District 5 – Jessica S. Lappin replaces outgoing Speaker Gifford Miller to represent the other side of the Upper East Side and Roosevelt Island.

District 8 – Melissa Viverito overwhelmed her opponent to represent East Harlem, the Upper West Side and Mott Haven. Phil Reed vacated that seat when he ran unsuccessfully for Manhattan Borough President.

District 13 – James Vacca takes over the seat previously held by Madeline Provenzano to represent Pelham Bay, Throggs Neck and City Island in the Bronx.

District 28 – Thomas White, the first former Council member to reclaim his seat after he was term-limited out in 2000, defeated Queens incumbent Allan Jennings to represent Richmond Hill and Rochdale Village.

District 41 – Darlene Mealy, a member of the TWU, soundly defeated Assemblyman Tom Boyland who sought to replace his daughter, Tracy, as the Council representative for Bedford Stuyvesant, East Flatbush and Ocean Hill Brooklyn.

The Council members are gearing up for an election of their own during which they will elect new leadership, including a Speaker to replace outgoing Speaker Gifford Miller, who will step down December 31.


Voters Say YES to 3 Propositions

Voters also supported three of four propositions on the ballot. Voters approved Proposition 2, 3 and 4. Proposition 2 allows the state to issue bonds to fund major repairs and improvements to subways, buses, roads, bridges and airport; Proposition 3 amends the City Charter to allow the mayor to create ethics rules for administrative law judges, such as those who hear contested parking tickets and disciplinary charges against city workers; and Proposition 4 amends the City Charter to allow the mayor to adopt more detailed rules about balancing the city budget.

Voters turned down Proposition 1, which would have amended the state constitution to reform Albany’s budget process by making it more open to the public.


New Jersey Governor

In New Jersey, where multimillionaires Doug Forrester and Jon Corzine sank millions of their own money into a heated campaign to discredit each other in an effort to become the state’s governor, Senator Corzine emerged as the victor. Both candidates spent an estimated $40 million apiece to win control of what is said to be “one of the most powerful state positions in the country.”

Corzine took 53 percent of New Jersey’s vote over Forester’s 44 percent. After evaluating his campaign, Forrester announced a week after the election that his association and appearance with President George W. Bush cost him valuable votes.