The race in the 75th district on Manhattan's West Side represents a sharp contrast between a long-time politician and total newcomer.
Assemblymember Richard Gottfried has represented the 75th District since he was elected in 1970 -- when he was 23 years old. Now, a 22-year-old is seeking to unseat him.
Gottfried, a Democrat who also is endorsed by the Working Families Party, is the chair of the Committee on Health and has been a key player in much of the health legislation that has been passed in the past several decades.
His challenger, Saul Farber, who recently graduated from NYU, is backed both by the Republican and Independent parties. Farber's key issues are reform in Albany and decreasing spending.
Farber collected $38,749 in campaign contribution in the period leading up to the32 Day Pre-General filing report and had $47,145 on hand. Farber had raised $24,580 and had $21,644 on hand.
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Republican Challenger Frances Cutrone faces a daunting task as the Republican takes on Democratic Assemblymember Vito Lopez, who also heads Brooklyn's Democratic party.
Information could not be found on Cutrone.
Lopez joined the Assembly in 1984. He chairs the Committee on Housing, where he rewrote the state's 421-a tax exemption program, which is supposed to spark the development of affordable apartments. Some say the bill favored the controversial development Atlantic Yards.
Lopez who took in $70.768 in the period covered by the 32 Day Pre-General filing report had almost $980,000 on hand. There was no filing information on Cutrone.
District 53 includes Bushwick and Williamsburg.
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Party Leader Runs Again
Assemblymember Jonathan Bing has represented the 73rd District since he was first elected in 2002. The former lawyer, who will appear on the Democratic and Working Families Party lines, is a prolific author of legislation, authoring 36 pieces of legislation since he was elected to the Assembly.
The seat had been held by a Republican, John Ravitz, for 12 years before Bing was elected, and this affluent East Side area, known as the "silk stocking district," had been a Republican stronghold for years.
Bing defeated his Republican challenger after Ravitz stepped down in 2002, and Republican strength in the area seems to have ebbed. This year, David Casavis, who formerly worked for other GOP candidates, represents the Republican cause. In an interview with the West Side Spirit, he held out little chance of a win.
"I'll at least restore a little dignity," Casavis said. "What I'd like to do is break 30 percent. Gosh if I could break 40 percent, that'd be a dream."
In his 32 Day Pre-General filing report, Bing reported raising $15,920 in the past months and having a balance at the end of September of $280,300. Casavis had raised $45 and ended the period with $345
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