Gotham Gazette

The Place for New York Policy and politics

Stacey Pheffer Amato

Stacey Pheffer Amato

  • Queens Assembly Member Up Just One Vote After Recount as Fight Over 98 Ballots Remains

    Assemblymember Stacey Pheffer Amato (far left, photo: @Stacey23AD)


    Assemblymember Stacey Pheffer Amato, a Queens Democrat, is leading by just one vote over her Republican opponent, Thomas Sullivan, after a manual recount for the District 23 election concluded on Wednesday. But, the race is still not over as a court battle for nearly 100 additional ballots remains to be decided.

    On election night, Amato trailed Sullivan by 246 votes in an election with more than 32,000 ballots cast, a close enough margin to trigger an automatic hand recount. More than 1,000 absentee and affidavit ballots remained uncounted at the

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  • Adjusting to Albany: Meet NYC’s New Class of State Legislators

    nyscapitolbuilding2

    photo via @NYSCapitolTours


    While the ethics trainings and orientation for new state legislators may have evolved over the years, one thing has remained constant: the daunting task of navigating the Capitol’s maze-like corridors during one’s first weeks of work in Albany.

    Orientation provides some roadmap to Albany’s byzantine legislative processes, including workshops in drafting bills, organizing a press conference, and conducting research, and legislative staffers are provided for support, but it can take a few

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