As the fight for the 25th State Senate District heats up, incumbent Martin Connor received a shot in the arm from a handful of his Albany colleagues, all of whom endorsed him for another run this week.
Gathering at City Hall, Senate Minority Leader Malcolm Smith led the accolades for the longtime incumbent, who will be celebrating his 30th year in Albany this year.
Local elected officials singing his praises included State Senators Eric Adams, Velmanette Montgomery and Martin Dilan.
This September, Connor will be going up against 28-year-old Daniel Squadron, a former aide to Senator Charles Schumer who says that the 25th Senate District is looking for a more progressive legislator in Albany.
Squadron has reportedly raised $428,000 for his run – a large amount to the $83,000 Connor has collected.
Squadron has already begun sending out mailings about his plans for Brooklyn and lower Manhattan if elected.
Yet, to Connor, nothing can beat firsthand accounts about his record in Albany – something his colleagues had in abundance on Tuesday.
“I enthusiastically endorse Marty Connor in his bid for re-election to the New York State Senate,” said Adams. During his time at the podium, the freshman Senator recounted how Connor showed him the ropes.
“As a new member of the Senate, Marty embraced me and helped me to navigate through the intricacies of Albany politics. Senator Connor has maintained a progressive position on issues involving criminal justice and civil rights.”
“During the numerous debates over the 2008 budget, Marty and I stood shoulder to shoulder in opposition of the numerous budgetary cuts. He is a visionary and an advocate for the people he was duly elected to serve.”
Montgomery said that Connor has always worked to make sure that “New York City received its fair share of education aid.”
“He helped us get billions of dollars in increased aid and school construction money,” said Montgomery. “Whether it’s articulating opposition to the war in Iraq, fighting the Republicans to preserve reproductive choice for women or opposing the death penalty, Marty Connor can be counted on for vigorous and compelling debate. All of us rely on his experience and knowledge to guide us.”
Those involved in the Connor love fest included State Senators Liz Krueger, and Eric Schneiderman, who collaborated to kick Connor out of his Minority Leader post in 2002 in favor of former State Senator and now Governor David Paterson.
Krueger told reporters that while she doesn’t know Squadron, she didn’t like how he was labeling her longtime colleague as a conservative.
“I think I’m considered one of the more liberal members of the conference, and I don’t believe Connor isn’t a progressive,” Krueger said.
Voters go to the polls on September 9.
