McMahon petition signatures might be record

Tuesday, July 08, 2008
By TOM WROBLESKI

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Democratic City Councilman Michael McMahon plans to file what could be a record 11,000 petition signatures for his congressional bid this year, nearly eight times the number of signatures he needs to get on the fall ballot.

"It's an awesome number," said McMahon (D-North Shore), the Democratic organization pick in the race.

Staten Island Republicans, meanwhile, don't have a candidate yet and appear poised to file the 1,550 or so signatures the party gathered on behalf of congressional designee Frank Powers, who died last month.

That total would leave Republicans with just 300 more than the 1,250 signatures required to guarantee the party a spot on the ballot.

Petition signatures for this fall's congressional and state Legislature races can be filed beginning today and must be in by Thursday.

McMahon, who has raised $500,000 for the campaign, said a "confluence of positive forces" fueled his petition numbers: "A strong candidacy, an opportunity to win and real unity in the Democratic Party."

He said 10,000 of the signatures were gathered on the Island, with another 1,000 or so collected on the Brooklyn side of the congressional district.

Democratic vice chairman John Sollazzo, who has been among the party's top petition gatherers and coordinators for close to four decades, said he couldn't remember the last time that a Democratic congressional candidate here had logged 11,000 signatures.

"It's probably a record," he said. "We haven't seen something like this in a long, long time."

Brooklyn attorney Stephen Harrison, McMahon's Democratic primary opponent, said he would file between 3,000 and 4,000 signatures for his bid.

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We're very solid," Harrison said. "We'll be in it until the end. That's what this guarantees."

Primary Day is Sept. 9.

Borough GOP chairman John Friscia said that Republicans were in a "wait and see" mode.

"We want to file for Frank and see what happens," said Friscia, who said the party would likely wait until the Thursday deadline to file.

The party has been blasted by former GOP Borough President Guy Molinari for its failure to lock in a candidate.

Incumbent GOP Rep. Vito Fossella withdrew from the race following a DWI arrest and revelations that he'd fathered a child during an extramarital affair.

"We're going to have a name and a candidate by [July 10]," Friscia said.

Parties usually like to have at least double the amount of signatures needed to qualify any candidate in order to fend off challenges.

If the GOP cannot produce 1,250 valid signatures, gathered from party members who live in the district, there's a chance that the Republicans will not have a congressional candidate on the ballot in November.

Republicans were prohibited from collecting any more signatures for Powers following the Todt Hill resident's death on June 22.

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Signatures can be invalidated for a number of reasons, including if the signer isn't a registered party member or if someone signs for more than one party candidate.

Signature challenges are often adjudicated in state Supreme Court, and Republicans here seem to be banking on judges' well-known reluctance to deny voters a choice in any election because of flaws in petitions.

If the GOP signatures pass muster, a party committee on vacancies will name a candidate to replace Powers.

Brooklyn Republicans are collecting signatures for Paul Atanasio, a Conservative Party member who would need written permission from the GOP, known as a Wilson-Pakula authorization, in order to run in a primary.

Former South Shore GOP Assemblyman Robert Straniere is also gathering congressional signatures.

"We're out there every day," he said. "We're going to win."

Straniere, who lost a primary for his Assembly seat in 2004 and left politics, couldn't say how many signatures he would file, but said it would be "well in excess" of the 1,250 required.

Dr. Jamshad Wyne said he would file "over 3,000 signatures" for the race this week.

"The support from family and friends has been pouring in," the Republican said.

GOP supporters are also gathering petition signatures for Independence Party pick Carmine Morano, who would also need a Wilson-Pakula in order to run in a GOP primary.