ALBERT BALDEO FOR STATE SENATE
106-11 LIBERTY AVENUE Telephone (718) 529-2300
OZONE PARK, NY 11417 Fax (718) 848-6203
Email:
February 26, 2007
AN APPEAL TO ALL RIGHT THINKING DEMOCRATS TO SUPPORT MY CANDIDACY IN OUR DEMOCRATIC EFFORT TO REPLACE REPUBLICAN STATE SENATOR SERPH MALTESE-I SECURED 49% OF THE VOTES LAST ELECTION!
I am a loyal democrat, and a believer in the democratic principles that should govern our party! I secured 49% of the votes the last election, and almost ousted the Republican County Chair Serf Maltese, who was in office since 1988. This is what the New York Times said, in part, of my efforts:
"The 15th District is in an area of Queens where registered Democrats outnumber registered Republicans by more than 2 to 1. And at a time when Democrats have been making steady gains toward controlling the Republican-led State Senate, some Democratic officials question why the party placed so little attention on the seat held by the 74-year-old Mr. Maltese and provided Mr. Baldeo with little in the way of endorsements of political support.
In an interview yesterday, Mr. Baldeo, 46, a lawyer who ran unsuccessfully for a City Council seat last year, could name only one Democratic official who endorsed him: United States Representative Gregory W. Meeks. Mr. Baldeo said, however, that he was not willing to criticize the Democratic organization in Queens.
“I want to go forward from the past,” he said. “I’m in touch with the Democratic State Senate Committee, and they say they will help in making sure the recount process goes smoothly.” In fact, Mr. Baldeo has also asked for an investigation into complaints his office received about voter intimidation and other irregularities.
The reluctance of Democratic officials to support Mr. Baldeo’s campaign was in part a reflection of the longtime relationship that many Queens Democratic officials have enjoyed with Mr. Maltese, the chairman of the Republican Party in the borough and a founder of the state Conservative Party."
Many of you felt our pain, and praised our efforts and grass roots initiative, partially documented here: . We were betrayed and abandoned by the Democratic leadership, but we continued to fight the good fight, as die hard party loyalists would. Such a close defeat was particularly painful, because our blood, sweat and tears were ignored. We thought our children and seniors were let down by our own party.
Encouraged by many constituents, and by the inspiring leadership of Governor Spitzer, Lieutenant Governor David Paterson and Senate Democratic Leader, Senator Malcolm Smith, we have continued my candidacy and our sacrifices to secure this seat in the 2008 elections. Recent press reports reveal that Councilman Joe Addabbo is being encouraged to run by the Queens County Democratic Organization, for State senator Serph Maltese’s seat. It seems that County wants to bypass my candidacy, for reasons best known to them, and despite the fact that I almost unseated Maltese in the 2006 election, without any institutional or financial support.
Many die hard democratic loyalists are bitterly disappointed that our own organization is bent on minimizing our grass roots movement, demoralizing our efforts, wasting our resources and dividing our democratic base by pushing a reluctant insider candidate to run, in the hope of preserving a republican seat they have propagated by refusing to run a democratic candidate against-since 1988!
Should Councilman Addabbo put County's interest above our community’s, hewill be seenas merely seeking the State senate seat because of the term limits in the City Council. Instead, he could easily replace Assemblywoman Audrey Pheffer, who has declared her intention of running for the Queens Borough President, or Congressman Anthony Weiner, who may either run for Mayor or replace US Senator Hillary Clinton and Mr. Addabbo can fulfill his dream of becoming a Congressman, like his revered father.
I announced last December that I will be contesting the seat again, because of my aggressivevoter registration, and increasing institutional and financialsupport this time around. I merely ask that the same right that was extended to State senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins, who lost in a similarly close race to republican Senator Spano, but defeated him the second time around, be extended to me! The sordidmanipulation of pitting two democrats against each other for the same State senate seat will dilute our democratic base, waste our resources, create diversions and divisions, and boost a sagging Maltese. Maltese is reportedly laughing, and should he win on account of this, we will all be seen as villains. Enough is enough!
Is it merely rhetoric that many democratic leaders have promised to extend equal opportunities to all, to assist everyone, regardless of ethnicity, and to have “leadership that looks like the state of New York?” Our community has never had any elected representatives. We are trying to reach that milestone, and have earned the right to have me run again on its behalf, with your blessings. Is our community being punished for seeking the very reform of taking back the state senate our democratic leaders are so nobly championing now?
Please assist us in our collective fight for the betterment of our diverse community.
Albert
Albert Baldeo, Esq.
Democrat
15TH SENATE DISTRICT
Forest Hills Garden, Glendale, Hamilton Beach, Howard Beach, Maspeth, Middle Village,
Old Howard Beach, Ridgewood, Woodhaven, and parts of Elmhurst, Forest Hills, Kew Gardens,
Ozone Park, Rego Park, Richmond Hill, South Richmond Hill, South Ozone Park, Sunnyside & Woodside