This is the third time that Democrat Michael Benedetto will face off against Republican Conservative Raymond Capone. Benedetto won the two previous encounters in this district in the northeast Bronx.
Benedetto, who was first elected in 2004, is a former teacher and political aide who founded the Bronx Times Reporter newspaper. Capone, who works for Verizon, is a Conservative Party activist making his fourth bid for the Assembly.
In his most recent campaign filing Benedetto showed $4,665 on hand. Capone had $1,825.
Incumbent Assemblymember Andrew Hevesi was first elected to represent the 28th District in a May 2005 special election. He is running for re-election this year as the candidate of the Democratic and Working Families parties. Hevesi, the son of controversial former city and state Comptroller Alan Hevesi, worked for other local politicians before being elected.
Hevesi's Republican opponent is Walter Schmidt. Schmidt ran in the 2006 Republican primary for the seat, but lost. Hevesi then went on to defeat the Republican nominee by a wide margin in the general election. This time, Schmidt won the GOP nomination, but it remains to be seen if he can fare any better against Hevesi in this Forest Hills district where Democrats outnumber Republicans by a margin of almost three to one.
In his most recent filing, Hevesi reported having about $22,000 in campaign funds in his last financial disclosure. Schmidt has not filed any reports.
Democratic Assemblymember Michael Cusick is running for re-election this November. Cusick was first elected to the Assembly in 2002 and has focused much of his time in the Assembly on preventing what he considers to be overdevelopment of the district and improving education.
Cusick represents one of the more Democratic districts in Staten Island - the 63rd has two thirds as many registered Republicans as registered Democrats - but Cusick has covered all his bases, garnering endorsements from the Working Families Party, the Independence Party and the Conservative Party.
David Anthony Pascarella is running as the Republican candidate, pledging to "change Albany's culture of corruption" and speak out for "our values."
Both candidates have ties to prominent New York politicians. Before being elected to the Assembly, Cusick served as liaison to New York State officials for U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer. He has also served as the Chief of Staff for former Assemblymember Eric Vitaliano.
www.pascarellaforassembly.com Pascarella, a lawyer, has served on the staff of New York City Council members and has also worked in the Mayor's Office of Operations under both Rudolph Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg.
At the last disclosure deadline, Cusick reported having $42,000 in campaign funds, with about $22,000 in recent contributions. Pascarella reported having $13,366 with $2,675 in recent donations.