Crains New York - September 17, 2012 - (Page 6)

THE INSIDER by Andrew J. Hawkins REAL ESTATE NY election winners and losers See why at BryanCave.com/nyrealestate T he primary election for state offices last week, which a few months ago was shaping up to be a typically sleepy affair, proved to be one of the more exciting and unpredictable in years. Scandals shook up several races, causing the rare defeat of sitting legislators. And one of the upset winners, Mark Gjonaj (above), was one of those candidates who never seem to finish first: an unheralded businessman, in his debut race, running with a demographic disadvantage against an incumbent backed by the county Democratic organization. But for every contender who triumphed or tanked, there were others not on the ballot who emerged with either a sheen or a shiner. WINNERS: StudentsFirstNY. The education reform group, which supports charter schools, poured $17,000 into Nily Rozic’s winning Assembly campaign in Queens. Her opponent, Jerry Iannece, had the strong backing of the United Federation of Teachers. Hakeem Jeffries. The soon-to-be-congressman’s pick to succeed him in the Assembly, Democratic district leader Walter Mosley, romped in a three-way primary. The New York Post. The tabloid hammered Assemblywoman Naomi Rivera for padding the pockets of her son and boyfriends. Though her district is 45% Hispanic, she fell to Mr. Gjonaj, a real estate professional with an Albanian name that most voters couldn’t even pronounce. Eric Schneiderman. The attorney general’s indictment of Sen. Shirley Huntley led to her defeat, which should deter other lawmakers from misappropriating public money. Losing her seat also cost Ms. Huntley her most valuable bargaining chip should she try to reach a plea deal. Arthur Cheliotes. The CWA Local 1180 president went all-in for Ms. Rozic and Councilman James Sanders, who knocked off Ms. Huntley. Mr. Cheliotes’ union is proving to be an effective component of the Working Families Party machine. Discover 360° Service. Project management is good. Project leadership is better. Cassidy Turley’s experts deliver superior results on time and on budget with 10–20% savings. We understand your goals, mitigate risks and add value—from site selection through move-in and beyond. LOSERS: LGBT lobby. Results were mixed for Republican state senators who voted for same-sex marriage. Mark Grisanti cruised to victory, but Roy McDonald’s and Stephen Saland’s races were too close to call. That showed gay-rights backers can’t always protect allies in conservative districts—a bad omen for nondiscrimination bills in Albany. Vito Lopez. The assemblyman has had a rough month since sexualharassment allegations against him came to light. His backing of Lara Genovesi sank her Civil Court campaign. Queens Democratic Party. The organization might not lose sleep over Mr. Sanders’ defeat of the scandal-scarred Ms. Huntley, but Mr. Iannece’s loss is harder to excuse. Queens GOP. Councilman Eric Ulrich’s blowout of the Republican county organization’s candidate, Juan Reyes, weakens Chairman Phil Ragusa, who is at odds with Mr. Ulrich’s faction of the county party. The councilman faces Vito Lopez Democratic state Sen. Joseph Addabbo in November. Haitians. Rodneyse Bichotte was crushed by Brooklyn Assemblywoman Rhoda Jacobs in a Caribbean district, revealing HaitianAmericans’ lack of political strength. PLANNING BUDGETING PROGRAMMING BUILD SPACE DESIGN MANAGEMENT Discover Excellence in Project Management. Discover Cassidy Turley. Peter Hennessy President, New York Tri-State Region 212.318.9790 Peter.Hennessy@cassidyturley.com www.cassidyturley.com Project & Development Services / Tenant Representation / Project Leasing / Property Management / Corporate Services / Capital Markets For daily political and government news, subscribe to CRAIN’S INSIDER @ www.crainsnewyork.com/insider http://www.BryanCave.com/nyrealestate http://www.BryanCave.com/nyrealestate http://www.cassidyturley.com http://www.crainsnewyork.com/insider http://www.cassidyturley.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Crains New York - September 17, 2012

IN THE BOROUGHS
IN THE MARKETS
THE INSIDER
BUSINESS PEOPLE
OPINION
GREG DAVID
SMALL BUSINESS
REPORT: REAL ESTATE
THE LIST
REAL ESTATE DEALS
FOR THE RECORD
CLASSIFIEDS
NEW YORK, NEW YORK
SOURCE LUNCH
OUT AND ABOUT
SNAPS

Crains New York - September 17, 2012