U.S. Rep. Bob Turner (l.) replaced former Congressman Anthony Weiner in a November special election when Turner became the first Republican to hold the Queens-Brooklyn seat since 1920.

Heading into 2011, the Queens political scene was supposed to be uneventful, with District Attorney Richard Brown facing no opposition and the foregone conclusion that Democratic judicial candidates would defeat their Republican rivals as they have for every year in recent memory.

And while the November elections went as expected — Brown won a sixth term and the six Democratic judges on the ballot won seats on the bench — one unforeseen contest in September with an improbable ending would shock the borough and the country.

A showdown between state Assemblyman David Weprin (D-Little Neck) and retired Republican businessman Bob Turner was set in motion after then-U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner began a fall from grace when he lied about sending a lewd photograph of his crotch to his followers on Twitter.

As the scandal started to unfold in early June, Weiner, who at the time was considered the odds-on favorite to be the next mayor, said the photo was not of him and that his Twitter account was hacked.

But then later that month, an X-rated photo of Weiner that he sent to a Twitter follower was released and the congressman admitted it was indeed him who sent the pictures.

As calls for his resignation grew louder, Weiner at first was granted a leave of absence and said he would go to rehab.

Ultimately, as his support diminished, Weiner held a news conference in late June at the Brooklyn senior center where he launched his political career to announce his resignation from Congress, saying the distraction he caused made it impossible for him to do his job.

As soon as Weiner left his seat and Gov. Andrew Cuomo called a Sept. 13 special election to succeed the congressman, speculation grew over who the Democratic Party would select to run on its line.

In the end, Democratic leaders from Brooklyn and Queens chose Weprin and Republicans turned to Turner, who ran unsuccessfully against Weiner in 2010.

In what was widely believed to be a cakewalk for Weprin, Turner’s campaign built momentum as the weeks went by, first gaining support from former Democratic Mayor Ed Koch and endorsements from the Daily News and the New York Post.

Weprin had a number of Democratic elected officials on his side, including U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.).

A series of debates between the two candidates drew hecklers on one occasion as both men challenged each other’s views on federal spending, the deficit, Israel, Medicare and Social Security.

Early polls showed Weprin ahead, but as Sept. 13 grew closer, Turner had the upper hand.

Turner went on to defeat Weprin 53 percent to 46 percent and became the first Republican to hold that particular congressional seat since 1920.?

In Queens, Weprin bested Turner 52 percent to 47 percent, but Turner dominated the Brooklyn portion of the district 67 percent to 33 percent.

The shocking result was attributed by political observers to President Barack Obama’s unpopularity at the time and Turner’s success in making the race a referendum on Obama’s policies.

Also this year, the retirement of then-Assemblywomen Audrey Pheffer and Nettie Mayersohn opened the political stage to two aides who had served behind the scenes for years.

Phil Goldfeder, a former aide to Pheffer, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Schumer, defeated Republican District Leader Jane Deacy to succeed Pheffer while Mayersohn’s longtime chief of staff, Michael Simanowitz, defeated College Point Republican Marco DeSena to replace Mayersohn.

Queens Supreme Court Justice Lee Mayersohn (l.) congratulates Assemblyman Michael Simanowitz, as Simanowitz's wife Jennifer and daughter Elisheva look on. Photo by Christina Santucci

Former Assemblywoman Nettie Mayersohn (l.) shakes hands with Assemblyman Michael Simanowitz, who worked on her staff and won her seat in the Assembly after she retired. Photo by Christina Santucci

Queens Supreme Court Justice Lee Mayersohn (l.) swears in Assemblyman Michael Simanowitz, who is surrounded by his family - daughter Elisheva and parents Sheila and Sherman Simanowitz. Simanowitz was elected to the seat in which Mayersohn's mother, Nettie, had served. Photo by Christina Santucci

Residents of the 27th state Assembly District began a new era for their community as they welcomed the first new Assembly member in nearly three decades to represent Flushing, Whitestone and Fresh Meadows.

Assemblyman Michael Simanowitz (D-Flushing) appeared at a formal ceremony Sunday before various borough and state officials, including Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (D-Manhattan), Queens Democratic Chairman U.S. Rep. Joe Crowley (D-Jackson Heights) and Assemblyman Ed Braunstein (D-Bayside).

Simanowitz won the special election for the seat in September after his former boss and predecessor, Nettie Mayersohn, 86, announced her retirement from the Assembly after 28 years in office.

The new Assembly member, who was inaugurated by Mayersohn’s son Judge Lee Mayersohn, promised his constituents at the Electrical Industry Center on Parsons Boulevard in Pomonok that he would carry on the good work she has done over the years.

“Thank you for showing me ?the kind of elected official I want to be,” he told her.

The 27th District also includes the neighborhoods of College Point, Forest Hills, Kew Gardens Hills, Electchester, Pomonok, Briarwood, Kew Gardens and Richmond Hill.

The who’s who of elected officials applauded Mayersohn for her time in office and the various pieces of legislation and programs she supported. Mayersohn pushed for the passage of the Baby AIDS Law in 1996, which requires doctors to tell mothers if their babies are infected with the HIV virus.

“Nettie Mayersohn was known in the halls of the U.S. House of Representatives and the halls of the U.S. Senate,” Crowley said.

Mayersohn said she was humbled by the support.

“I want to thank you for the support you gave me as an assemblywoman for 28 years,” she said.

Crowley told Simanowitz, who served as Mayersohn’s chief of staff for 15 years, that the best way to be an effective leader was to reach out to the other aisle and show voters that government can be bipartisan.

“People need a restoration of their faith in government. Michael, my suggestion to you is to make a lot of friends,” Crowley said.

Silver said Simanowitz has already proven to be a strong leader during his first two months in office and will be a major contributor to Albany.

“We look forward to your contributions to our efforts. We know you will serve your constituents and the house with loyalty, patience, honor and integrity,” he said.

Simanowitz said he is focused on several issues, but the top one is boosting the state’s economy and encouraging job growth. He noted that one in six New Yorkers is either underemployed or unemployed, which has caused a huge exodus of young adult residents.

“New York needs to lead, not follow, when it comes to job growth,” he said.

The new assemblyman added that his office is always open and he will be taking the community’s interests and concerns very seriously.

“I may be one of the new kids on the block, but I will run to help the people of the state,” he said.

Christina Santucci contributed to this article.

Assembly candidate Michael Simanowitz and his son Josh, 13, slide Simanowitz's ballot into the voting machine at PS 201. Photo by Christina Santucci

Democrat Michael Simanowitz easily won the special election Tuesday to replace his former boss, state Assemblywoman Nettie Mayersohn, as District 27’s representative in Albany’s lower legislative body.

Simanowitz had secured 77 percent, or 4,181 votes, with 65 of 97 precincts reporting Tuesday night,, while his opponent, Republican Marco DeSena, had only received 23 percent or 1,263, according to the Associated Press?.

Simanowitz said he was looking forward to serving his constituents beginning on his first day in office.

“It was a great team effort, the constituents are amazing and I look forward to representing them for the next year at least,” Simanowitz said once it became clear he had won. “[DeSena] had a very good race, he had some very good ideas and I’m hopeful we can do some good work together.”

DeSena said after the election was called for his opponent that he was proud of his effort and he would continue to work to help the community.

“We were realistic going into it, but we tried really hard,” DeSena said. “Simanowitz won it fair and square and I wish him the best.”

The lopsided result was not unexpected based on interviews with voters at polling places in Simanowitz’s home neighborhood of Electchester and DeSena’s native College Point. Of more than two dozen voters interviewed, zero had heard of DeSena while several had met Simanowitz and nearly 10 had identified him as their candidate of choice.

Gina Brooks said she and Simanowitz live on the same floor in an Electchester building near PS 200, at 70-10 164th St., where she cast her vote for him Tuesday.

“I watched his kids grow up, and he’s still in Electchester. He’s looking out for the people of New York, and hopefully he’ll help out the schools. I understand they’re getting very crowded,” she said.

Turnout was low at PS 129, at 128-02 7th Ave. in College Point, as the key draw for many voters Tuesday was the special election to replace Anthony Weiner in the 9th U.S. Congressional District, which does not include that part of the borough.

Simanowitz, 40, worked as chief of staff to Mayersohn for the past 15 years, where he said he gained the experience necessary to represent the people of the 27th District. He emphasized during the campaign that his top priorities will be constituent services, education, public safety and jobs.

DeSena, 30, ran as an outsider looking to bring change to Albany. The former Republican district leader and former staffer for Mayor Rudy Giuliani during his 2008 presidential bid teaches at Baruch College and works as a communications consultant. He said he would have focused on the economy and tax, budget and ethics reform.

Mayersohn campaigned for her protégé at PS 200, and offered him some words of encouragement.

“He is so dedicated and so smart and he’s going to do a great job,” she said. “Before I retired, I wanted to make sure there was someone who really understands the community, understands the issues, and that’s Mike Simanowitz.”

Michael Simanowitz

Party
Democratic

Campaign Office
67-15 Parsons Blvd.
Electchester, NY 11365
(718) 969-5711

Biography
Michael Simanowitz, an Electchester father of four who grew up in Forest Hills, is vying for the 27th state Assembly seat.

He worked beginning in 1996 as chief of staff to outgoing District 27 Assemblywoman Nettie Mayersohn, who retired from the seat after 28 years in April. He had a short career before that as a city Department of Housing Preservation & Development planner and community liaison after graduating from Queens College.

Simanowitz, 40, has been a member of the 107th Precinct’s police auxiliary unit for 16 years, where he helps the NYPD ensure the public is safe. He is currently the unit’s commanding officer.

Issues
Simanowitz wants to focus in large part on constituent services, tending to concerns and problems that may arise throughout the district, from potholes to bureaucratic headaches.

He said the economy is one of his top priorities, and that he will work to ensure his district remains an affordable place for people to live and thrive, and to boost job opportunities for residents.

He wants to work to help seniors maintain their quality of life, to improve schools in his district and throughout the state, and to address criminal justice and public safety issues.

Republican Marco DeSena (l.) is running against Democrat Michael Simanowitz to replace the state Assembly seat vacated by Nettie Mayersohn in April.

When voters go to the polls Tuesday to decide who will replace Nettie Mayersohn as District 27’s representative in the state Assembly, they will be faced with a choice between a seasoned veteran of state government and a newcomer looking to bring change to Albany.

After being held by Mayersohn for 28 years, the seat became vacant in April when the legislator retired, and a special election was scheduled to decide who will succeed her in the post.

The candidates, Democrat Michael Simanowitz and Republican Marco DeSena, are two different men with deep roots in the local community but divergent political outlooks.

Electchester resident Simanowitz, 40, worked as Mayersohn’s chief of staff for the past 15 years, and he touts his experience with her as one of the key reasons why he should be the district’s next Assembly member, as he says he will be able to “hit the ground running” if elected.

College Point native DeSena, a former Republican district leader and former staffer for Mayor Rudy Giuliani during his failed 2008 presidential bid who currently works as an adjunct professor at Baruch College and a freelance communications consultant, said he will bring a fresh outlook and will not play politics as usual if he is elected.

Simanowitz, a father of three, Queens College graduate and former city Department of Housing planner and community liaison, said he will continue Mayersohn’s legacy of dedication to constituent services if elected.

Issues he hopes to focus on include education, public safety, jobs and ensuring people are able to continue to afford to live in the district, which includes parts of Flushing, College Point, Pomonok, Fresh Meadows, Electchester, Kew Gardens and Richmond Hill.

DeSena, who was promoted as an “outsider” by Queens Republican Party Chairman Phil Ragusa when he entered the race, is running as a reformer, hoping to bring a fresh eye to the tired storylines of Albany.

DeSena cites jobs and the economy as his main focus, but he said he would also prioritize tax, budget and ethics reform, and that he hopes to work with other legislators from both parties to affect real change.

Simanowitz has the clear lead in fund-raising, with $85,052.15 on hand as of Sept. 6, according to state Board of Elections records.

DeSena has not filed either his required 32-day or 11-day pre-election campaign finance reports, but he had just $9,463.50 on hand as of July 6 — at which time Simanowitz had $105,788.93 — according to the records.

Both candidates said Tuesday that they have clear strategies for the final stretch of the campaign.

“The strategy is going to be just to continue to do what we’ve been dong since the begin of June, and that’s knocking on doors, speaking to constituents, listening to their concerns and getting the message out there,” Simanowitz said.

“We’re mobilizing volunteers, we’re going to start doing phone banks, robo-calls. We’re sending out our mailers this week, we’ll be doing an endorsement press conference,” DeSena said. “I’ll be doing the stuff I’ve been doing like hitting senior centers and going door to door.”

Marco DeSena

Campaign Office:
24-55 Francis Lewis Blvd.
Whitestone, NY 11357
718-690-3737

Seat:
27th Assembly District

District:
Parts of Flushing, College Point, Pomonok, Fresh Meadows, Electchester, Kew Gardens and Richmond Hill

Parties: Republican and Conservative

Bio:
Marco DeSena, who was born and raised in College Point, is vying for the 27th Assembly seat.

He works as a freelance communications consultant and an adjunct professor at Baruch College, from which he graduated with a bachelor’s degree before joining the city’s Urban Fellows Program and then attending the London School of Economics, where he received a master’s degree in comparative politics.

Since then DeSena, 30, has worked in a number of positions, including as a policy analyst for the conservative Free Enterprise think tank and as an adviser for U.S. Senate candidate David Malpass and former Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s 2008 presidential campaign.

Issues:
DeSena said his main issue is boosting jobs and the economy in his district and statewide. He hopes to pursue these goals by taking a small-government approach and working to enact budget and tax reform.

He also wants to work with legislators on both sides of the aisle to bring real reform to the ethics in Albany, which he said have disenfranchised New Yorkers, and to work to make it less difficult for them to afford to live in the city.

DeSena has vowed to stay in the Assembly three terms or less if he is elected and never to vote to raise taxes.

Republican Assembly candidate Marco DeSena (l.) is accusing Democrats of rigging the timing of the race so that Democratic candidate Michael Simanowitz (r.) has a better chance of winning. Photos by Connor Adams Sheets

The Republican candidate to replace Nettie Mayersohn, who retired in April from the 27th District state Assembly seat she held for 28 years, contends that the Queens Democratic Party manipulated the timing of the special election to replace her.

Marco DeSena alleges that the county Democratic Party’s leaders — under the guidance of its chairman, U.S. Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-Jackson Heights) — orchestrated a situation whereby Mayersohn would win re-election in 2010 based on her name recognition, then step down in order to make way for her chief of staff, Michael Simanowitz, to take her place.

DeSena says he believes the party’s leaders, counting on more Democrats to vote in a city special election than Republicans, waited until a few months after Mayersohn won, then had her step down quietly, keeping the limelight off the race and — they hope — allowing for Simanowitz to take her place relatively easily.

“That’s the incredibly shady way they tried to get the Democrats elected. Assemblywoman Mayersohn retiring four months into her tenure this year is, I think, unfair to the voters. I truly believe it was orchestrated this way,” DeSena said.

But the Simanowitz camp denies those allegations.

“Mr. DeSena is delusional,” Ross Wallenstein, campaign manager for Simanowitz, said in response to the charges leveled by DeSena. The Simanowitz campaign declined to speak to individual allegations.

DeSena sees a conspiracy on behalf of the Democrats he believes undermines the democratic process. He said the vast majority of voters he speaks with have no idea there is even a special election going on in their area, and DeSena says that could have been remedied by allowing for a longer campaign.

“Instead of lengthening the election so voters are informed and we have a longer period of time to run a proper campaign, they shortened it even more so the election is on Primary Day because there are way more Democratic primaries in New York City than there are Republican ones. Democrats are more used to voting in primaries,” he said. “Before anyone notices, the whole thing will be done.”

Queens Democratic Party Executive Secretary Michael Reich said the party had no part in helping Mayersohn decide when to step down.

“All I can tell you is it was entirely Nettie Mayersohn’s decision to retire when she wanted to. She was entitled to do that, and no one should take away all those years of service to the Queens community,” he said. “I don’t even know why he’s wasting his time running. He has no qualifications.”

Robert Hornak, DeSena’s chief of staff, said he believes there are some advantages for his candidate to a short campaign, and that his campaign believes he has the ability to win the seat for the Republicans.

“This is going to be a ridiculously low turnout election. A high estimate would be 10,000 [votes cast]. We think if we could get about 4,000 people out, we’d have a good chance of winning,” Hornak said. “We really see this because it’s a low turnout race as being less media-driven. We’ve got to give them a reason to come out and vote.”

Marco DeSena is running as a reformer after being selected as the Republican and Conservative parties' nominee for the 27th Assembly district. Photo by Connor Adams Sheets

Marco DeSena, the Republican and Conservative parties’ nominee in the special election to replace retired state Assemblywoman Nettie Mayersohn in the 27th District, says he will be “the citizen legislator” if elected, working to represent his constituents and to reform politics as usual in Albany.

Pledging to retire from the Assembly after three two-year terms if elected, the College Point man said if he is elected, he would work with people of all political leanings to address the systemic problems that plague the state Legislature.

“I will band together with other reform-minded legislators. We have all these caucuses, what we need is a reform caucus. Albany is a dysfunctional place and we need people who have other experiences to come to Albany and reform it because those who are there aren’t up to the task,” DeSena said in an interview with TimesLedger Newspapers Monday. “I don’t need any more friends. I want to go there and make a difference. I would go there an outsider and stay an outsider.”

A small-government conservative, DeSena said jobs and the economy would be his top focuses if he is elected, but that tax, budget and ethics reform would also be key aspects of his plan to work with other legislators to change how state government is run.

He said one of the key reasons he decided to enter the race — for which he said the Queens County Republicans chose him as its nominee via a “lightning-fast” process — is what he perceives as an exodus of residents from New York due to the burdens government puts on them.

As a result of that phenomenon and his small-government approach, he promised Monday not to vote to raise taxes if elected to the Legislature.

“People in this district feel as if they are being priced out of New York, and that’s the city and the state. They feel like they’re getting nickeled and dimed by government,” DeSena said. “Not only do they feel like they’re getting priced out, they also feel like they’re not getting anything in return.”

His Democratic opponent in the race is Michael Simanowitz, former chief of staff to Mayersohn, who was the district’s assemblywoman for 28 years before she stepped down in April. The 27th includes parts Flushing, College Point, Pomonok, Fresh Meadows, Electchester, Kew Gardens and Richmond Hill.

DeSena, 30, has lived his entire life in College Point except for a year in London. He works as a freelance communications consultant and teaches courses at Baruch College, where he received a bachelor’s degree in public affairs after graduating from St. Francis Preparatory School. After graduation, he participated in the city’s Urban Fellows Program before attending the London School of Economics, where he received a master’s in comparative politics.

But he was involved in government before that, falling in love with the field while Rudy Giuliani was mayor. He said he was inspired by the former mayor’s style of taking government to the people and the ways his policies affected the city and has since worked on a number of Republican campaigns.

As the Sept. 13 election approaches, DeSena said he wants to meet as many people as possible in his district and to get the word out about the election and his views.

“My goal is to meet people, knock on doors, go to barbecues and garage sales, and tell them why I’m running, ask about their concerns and ask for their votes,” he said.

State Assembly candidate Michael Simanowitz said he plans to meet as many District 27 voters as he can before the Sept. 13 special election. Photo by Connor Adams Sheets

Five weeks before the special election to replace Nettie Mayersohn, his newly retired boss of 15 years, Democratic state Assembly candidate Michael Simanowitz is confident he is the best person to represent the people of District 27.

Simanowitz, who served as Mayersohn’s chief of staff from 1996 to April, when she stepped down after 28 years in the Flushing seat, said his time working for the legislator taught him the skills needed to succeed in Albany and help address constituents’ concerns.

“For the last 15 years, I’ve been working for Nettie and the 27th got in my blood. Working for Nettie was a life lesson,” he said during an interview at his campaign’s Electchester headquarters Monday morning. “Working for Nettie for 15 years I think prepares you immensely for the job of a legislator. I had the opportunity to deal with all levels of government. One of the nice things I’ll be able to do is hit the ground running.”

The 40-year-old Electchester father of four, Queens College graduate and former city Department of Housing planner and community liaison refused to speak ill of his opponent in the race, Republican Marco DeSena. And he said he plans to further Mayersohn’s emphasis on taking care of the needs of local residents and neighbors if he is elected to replace her.

“She spent a lot of time and effort on constituent services and instilled that in all of us. No issue was too trivial. A big part of my focus is going to be delivering for my constituents in the district. Constituent services is a big part of the job,” he said. “People look at elected officials as legislators, and that’s a part of the job, but overall you’re there to serve your constituents. Maybe that’s a little too idealistic, but that’s how I feel.”

But Simanowitz did not get all his ideas from Mayersohn. After growing up in Forest Hills and spending his working life in government, he says he has a good feel for the people of the “middle-class” 27th District — which includes parts Flushing, College Point, Pomonok, Fresh Meadows, Electchester, Kew Gardens and Richmond Hill — and what they care about.

“The issues are largely universal. People want good schools for their kids, they want to feel safe when they walk home at night and they want good jobs,” he said. “It’s primarily a middle-class, working-class community, and people want to know they’ll be able to stay in their community.”

He also said area residents are concerned about gas prices and their ability to pay for retirement and health care. Simanowitz says crime and criminal justice are important to him because he has been a member of the 107th Precinct’s police auxiliary unit for 16 years, during which time he has had the opportunity to help officers maintain order during the 2003 blackout and patrol the precinct’s streets just after 9/11. He is currently the unit’s commanding officer.

As he enters the final stretch before the special election Sept. 13, which is also Primary Day, Simanowitz has a simple campaign strategy.

“Meet as many constituents as I can,” he said. “Nettie taught me early on that constituents are the most important part of the job, and getting out to meet people and knocking on doors is the best way to find out what people care about in the community, and it gives people the ability to put a face with the name.”

Republican Bob Turner (top r.) gets an endorsement from U.S. Rep. Peter King as Democrat David Weprin (bottom r.), who was endorsed by 32BJ, holds a news conference in Rego Park with Councilwoman Karen Koslowitz (l.) and state Sen. Toby Stavisky. Photos by Howard Koplowitz

Republican congressional candidate Bob Turner picked up the second high-profile endorsement of his campaign when he was backed Sunday by U.S. Rep. Peter King (R-Massapequa Park) at Joe Abbracciamento’s Restaurant in Rego Park as his opponent, state Assemblyman David Weprin (D-Little Neck) was endorsed by the state’s largest private sector union.

King’s endorsement of Turner comes a week after the retired Rockaway businessman was endorsed by former Democratic New York City Mayor Ed Koch.

King said he was supporting Turner because of his position on Israel and his business experience.

“I’m proud to endorse Bob Turner,” King said during an impromptu news conference inside the Rego Park restaurant on Woodhaven Boulevard, noting that he backed Turner in 2010 against then-Rep. Anthony Weiner.

Weiner resigned amid a sexting scandal two months ago and defeated Turner 60 percent to 40 percent last year.

“It’s a whole new world now and [Turner] has a very good chance of winning,” said King, the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee.

Turner and his Democratic opponent, state Assemblyman David Weprin (D-Little Neck), both disagree with President Barack Obama’s stance that Israel should go back to its pre-1967 war borders as a condition of negotiating with the Palestinians.

But King said if Turner is elected, it would be a rebuke of Obama’s “terrible policy toward Israel.”

“It would send shockwaves through the Obama administration that [Turner] would win in a district that has a large Jewish population,” the congressman said. “It will have such an impact. It will be like when Scott Brown was elected. I’m looking forward to a great victory.”

King was referring to U.S. Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.), who won in an upset to succeed the late Sen. Ted Kennedy in Massachusetts.

Both Turner and Weprin, an Orthodox Jew, are vying for Jewish votes in the district, particularly in Forest Hills, Rego Park and areas of Brooklyn.

Turner said he was “grateful and happy and proud” to have King’s endorsement again.

“Congressman King has been a stand-up guy and one of the bright figures in this Congress,” Turner said.

Weprin (D-Little Neck) and Assembly candidates Phil Goldfeder and Michael Simanowitz received the backing of 32BJ last week.

Goldfeder is the Democratic candidate vying to fill the seat held by Assemblywoman Audrey Pheffer, who left office to take the vacant Queens county clerk position. Simanowitz is running to succeed his boss, former Assemblywoman Nettie Mayersohn, who retired after nearly 30 years in Albany.

“Now more than ever, New York needs elected officials who represent the interests of working families,” said 32BJ/SEIU President Mike Fishman in a statement. “These candidates will help to take the steps necessary to improve our economy and the lives of working men and women.”

About 70,000 New Yorkers are members of 32BJ, the largest property services union in the country and the largest private sector union in the state. There are about 120,000 members of the union in the country.

Simanowitz, who was Mayersohn’s chief of staff for 15 years before she retired in April, said he was honored to have 32BJ’s endorsement.

“I have always stood behind working men and women in Queens and I look forward to their members’ support on Sept. 13 and beyond to keep our community the best place to raise our families,” he said.

Simanowitz is also the commanding officer of the 107th Precinct’s auxiliary unit, a position he has held for nine years.

He is running against Republican Marco DeSena in the special election while Goldfeder, a former aide to U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) is being challenged by Republican District Leader Jane Deacy.

Assembly candidate Michael Simanowitz is being backed by U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer. Photo by Christina Santucci

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) endorsed Democratic state Assembly candidate Michael Simanowitz in the special election to replace former Assemblywoman Nettie Mayersohn, who retired in April after 28 years in Albany.

Simanowitz, Mayersohn’s former chief of staff, is facing off against Republican Marco DeSena in the Sept. 13 special election.

“I am supporting Democrat Michael Simanowitz for Assembly because he will be a powerful voice for seniors, students and all the taxpayers of Queens,” Schumer said in a statement. “We need fighters in Albany and Michael will never stop fighting for our families. On Sept. 13, I hope you will join me in supporting Democrat Michael Simanowitz for state Assembly.”

The assembly district includes Flushing, College Point, Pomonok, Fresh Meadows, Electchester, Kew Gardens and Richmond Hill. Simanowitz was Mayersohn’s chief of staff for more than 15 years and is a Democratic district leader.

He is also a member of the 107th Precinct’s auxiliary unit and has been serving as the unit’s commanding officer for the last nine years.

“I am humbled to have the endorsement of Sen. Charles Schumer, a model elected official and a friend,” Simanowitz said. “I thank him for his kind words and look forward to working with him to improve the lives of all the people who live and work in Queens.”

The special election is one of three contests being held in Queens Sept. 13.

There are also races to replace former U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner and former Assemblywoman Audrey Pheffer, who retired from the Assembly after accepting the vacant Queens county clerk position.

Republican and College Point resident Marco DeSena is running to replace Nettie Mayersohn in the Assembly. Photo courtesy Marco DeSena

The Queens GOP has tapped former Republican district leader and communications consultant Marco DeSena to run against Democrat Mike Simanowitz in the race to replace former state Assemblywoman Nettie Mayersohn, who retired in April after nearly 30 years in Albany.

DeSena, 30, is also an adjunct professor at Baruch College in Manhattan.

Queens GOP Chairman Phil Ragusa touted DeSena’s “outsider” credentials in backing him in the race.

The party described him as “more of a technocrat than an ideologue.”

“We are proud to endorse Marco DeSena, a candidate who understands the values and concerns of Queens families and seniors who are struggling to make ends meet,” Ragusa said in a statement. “He understands the need to create jobs and control costs. It is about time we had an outsider in the Assembly from Queens like DeSena fighting for us instead of Albany insiders.”

The comment was a thinly veiled dig at Simanowitz, who served as Mayersohn’s chief of staff for much of her career.

DeSena, a College Point resident, said he knows the district, which includes College Point, Whitestone, Fresh Meadows, Electchester, Kew Gardens and Richmond Hill.

DeSena said the people of the district “are sick of the nonsense in Albany.

“My approach to legislation will be: Does it make sense? Then I’ll consider it. Does it raise taxes? Then I won’t even think of considering it. It’s time to clean up Albany and get some outsiders in there.”

DeSena does communications work and speechwriting and the Queens GOP said his “perspective” is needed in Albany and would help the borough’s small business owners and nonprofits.

DeSena’s candidacy is not his first brush with politics. Last year he served as senior policy and communications adviser to U.S. Senate candidate David Malpass, who lost to U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.).

In 2007 and 2008, DeSena was deputy director of policy research and an assistant speechwriter for former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani’s failed presidential bid.

In 2006, he served as a policy analyst at the Washington, D.C.-based Free Enterprise Fund, a conservative think tank, where he conducted economic research for congressional advocacy purposes to advance financial regulatory reform.

Democratic state Assembly candidates Philip Goldfeder (l.) and Mike Simanowitz (r.) get support from U.S. Rep. Joe Crowley (third from l.), City Councilman Mark Weprin (fourth from l.) and forme Aseemblywoman Nettie Mayersohn (front) during the kick-off to their campaigns at Queens Borough Hall. Photo by Howard Koplowitz

U.S. Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-Jackson Heights), chairman of the Queens County Democratic Party, helped kick off the campaigns of two Democratic candidates seeking to fill vacancies in the state Assembly left by former Assemblywomen Nettie Mayersohn and Audrey Pheffer.

Both special elections are being held Sept. 13, Primary Day, the same day some Queens voters will head to the polls to pick a successor to dishonored former Rep. Anthony Weiner.

Mike Simanowitz, Mayersohn’s former chief of staff, is the party’s pick to succeed her in the Assembly.

Crowley pointed to the 15 years Simanowitz spent on Mayersohn’s staff to say he was qualified to fill her shoes.

“He knows this district like the back of his hand,” Crowley said of Simanowitz.

The district includes Flushing, College Point, Pomonok, Fresh Meadows, Electchester, Kew Gardens and Richmond Hill.

“I look forward to be a voice for all of those communities,” Simanowitz said.

Crowley also noted Simanowitz served in the 107th Precinct’s auxiliary police department and was the youngest person to be deputy inspector of the auxiliary service.

Simanowitz said Mayersohn, who was among the elected officials who attended the kick-off Monday outside Queens Borough Hall, taught him how to be an effective legislator.

“I learned a great deal from Nettie,” he said. “I want to continue to fight for the people she has fought for throughout the years. I’m gratified by the outpouring of support I’ve received.”

Simanowitz said his campaign platform includes tax incentives for small businesses, which he described as “the backbone of our community,” and ensuring that Queens jobs stay in the borough.

He also criticized Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s plan this year to shutter city firehouses, which was rejected in the budget agreement passed by the City Council.

“Public safety should not be and will not be a bargaining chip in the future,” he said.

Crowley also touted the credentials of Rockaway resident Y. Philip Goldfeder, who the Queens Democratic Party nominated to replace Pheffer in the Assembly.

The Dem chairman said Goldfeder “has been part of the fabric of the Rockaways his entire life.”

The district includes part of the Rockaways, Howard Beach, Ozone Park and Richmond Hill.

Crowley said Goldfeder, who previously served as U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer’s (D-N.Y.) director of intergovernmental affairs, will not only make the district proud, but the rest of Queens as well.

Goldfeder said Pheffer created a void when she chose to accept the Queens county clerk position in June.

“I intend to fill that void,” he said.

Goldfeder, who also previously served as head of the Queens branch of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s Community Assistance Unit, said his platform includes “strong qualifications” and “genuine accomplishments.”

Crowley said both districts strongly lean Democratic, but the party will not rest on its laurels and think of Goldfeder’s and Simanowitz’s elections as inevitable.

“These are solid Democratic districts, but we take nothing for granted,” he said. “I know that Phil Goldfeder is going to do a wonderful job. I know that Mike Simanowitz is going to represent all of the communities. They are suited to represent these communities well.”

Assemblywoman Nettie Mayersohn has decided to call it a career after 28 years in office. Her chief of staff, Michael Simanowitz, is expected to be the Democratic candidate to succeed her. Photos by Christina Santucci

State Assemblywoman Nettie Mayersohn (D-Flushing) retired Friday after 28 years serving Whitestone, Flushing and Fresh Meadows in the legislative body.

“After much deliberation, I believe the time has come for me to step aside,” she said in a statement.

Mayersohn, 86, who served in the Assembly for 28 years, decided to retire to be closer to family and has no health problems, a spokesman said.

“She’s as healthy as a horse,” said Mayersohn spokesman Scott Wolf. “She just feels she’s accomplished everything she needed to accomplish in the Assembly.”

Mayersohn was not in Albany to vote on the state budget — the last day she was in office — although her absence was not due to a medical issue.

Most likely, a special election will determine who will succeed Mayersohn in the Assembly.

Michael Simanowitz, Mayersohn’s chief of staff, said he has the assemblywoman’s support to run and a Democratic source said Simanowitz “will be the Democratic candidate.”

“If and when there’s a special election, I will be running. Nettie is wholeheartedly behind me,” he said. “I look forward to the opportunity to run and represent the people of the 27th [Assembly District] and continue the work that Nettie’s done over the years.”

A GOP source said Andrew Rocco, a moderate Democrat and United Federation of Teachers organizer, could get the Republican line in the special election.

The source said John Mulvey, a staffer for City Councilman Dan Halloran (R-Whitestone) and College Point resident, is a “longer shot” for the Republican line.

Mayersohn is known for authoring the Baby AIDS law in 1996 that requires doctors to tell mothers if their babies are infected with HIV.

Before the law, parents were not told of their child’s condition because it was considered a violation of the mother’s right not to know, Mayersohn said.

State Sen. Toby Stavisky (D-Whitestone), whose district overlaps with Mayersohn’s, said the assemblywoman “has impacted the lives of all New Yorkers as profoundly as few legislators have.”

“Her indefatigability, her outspokenness and her love of her constituents set a high standard,” Stavisky said. “I am proud of our friendship and, while I will miss her in Albany, I know she will continue to be an influential leader, someone to whom everyone turns for advice.”

Mayersohn also authored the Partner Notification Law in 1998 that requires doctors to notify the state Health Department when one of the patients tests positive for HIV.

The law enabled the department to interview the HIV-positive individual and either assist them in notifying their sexual partners themselves or may confidentially reach out to those known partners and tell them that there is a reason to believe they have been exposed to the virus, which allows the partners to begin accessing care.

Mayersohn thanked her constituents in her statement.

“They gave me the privilege of representing their interests for 28 years,” she said. “I never took their support for granted and worked very hard to ensure their continued trust. All I can say is thank you — I will never forget you.”

Ed Braunstein (l.) receives a congratulatory hug from his father Ed, Sr. Photo by Christina Santucci

The increasingly bitter campaign for the northeast Queens state Assembly seat came to an end Tuesday night with Democrat Ed Braunstein’s victory over his Republican challenger Vince Tabone.

After receiving 58.5 percent of the vote in Tuesday’s election, Braunstein will replace fellow Democratic Ann-Margaret Carrozza as the assemblyman, based on unofficial results with all precincts reporting early Wednesday morning, NY1 said. The district covers Bayside, Little Neck, Douglaston, College Point and Whitestone.

Tabone garnered 41.5 percent of votes, according to NY1, in his failed bid to succeed Carrozza, who announced earlier this year that she would not run for re-election to the seat she has held since 1996.

In other northeast Queens results, Assemblyman David Weprin (D-Bayside) was re-elected after he defeated Republican Timothy Furey and Bob Friedrich, who ran on the Conservative line after losing the Democratic primary to Weprin.

Weprin got 67.1 percent of the vote with all precincts reporting, according to NY1, while Furey received 23.6 percent and Friedrich pulled in 9.2 percent.

Tabone, who conceded to Braunstein late Tuesday night, said he will continue to serve the community despite losing the election.

“I’ve had a wonderful opportunity to serve the public in city and state government for almost 15 years and I’ve served the community,” said Tabone, a Bayside resident and attorney for John Catsimitidis’ Manhattan-based Red Apple Group with a long career of civic involvement. “For me it’s not the end of the world. I’ve had a wonderful opportunity to serve the community … and I’m not going to go away.”

Braunstein, a former aide to Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (D-Manhattan) and current member of Community Board 11, said he will be getting straight to work now that he is headed to Albany on behalf of his native northeast Queens.

“I’m going to start on Jan. 1 working on the things I spoke about throughout the campaign,” Braunstein said during his victory speech at his campaign’s post-election celebration Tuesday night at Cascarino’s Brick Oven Pizzeria in Bayside. “We need to bring a new emphasis on ethics reforms in Albany, we need to create jobs in this down economy and we need to ensure northeast Queens remains the best place to live in New York state.”

Both candidates sent enthusiastic campaign teams to polling sites throughout northeast Queens, where they touted their qualifications for higher office.

Luigi Farina, a Whitestone resident, handed out campaign literature and spoke to voters about Tabone at PS 193 in his hometown, saying he was the best choice for the community.

“Vincent has a lot of experience. I think he’ll bring it to Albany,” he said. “He’s already worked for [former Mayor Rudy] Giuliani, and he’ll bring that experience to Albany.”

Adam Lombardi, a volunteer with Braunstein’s camp, used a megaphone, literature and conversations with voters to get voters to choose his candidate.

“Ed’s message is from the people, for the people, and that message has reverberated throughout the community,” he said. “The sentiment among the community about Ed Braunstein for assemblyman is simply outstanding.”

Ever since he announced his candidacy, Braunstein, 29, has campaigned on a platform of cutting spending, reforming Albany and protecting quality of life in northeast Queens, particularly for schoolchildren and seniors.

Tabone, 44, trumpeted his experience as a former employee in the city Economic Development Corp. as proof that he had the ability to reform the fiscal situation in Albany. He also argued that his longer period of experience in government and community advocacy made him the better candidate to represent the community.

Both candidates accused one another of being too entrenched in the system to be in a position to cast themselves as the outsiders they both claimed to be, and concerns about campaign donations from questionable donors arose on both sides of the campaign.

Weprin campaigned on his experience both in his two terms on the City Council, where he served as chairman of the Finance Committee, and his short tenure as an assemblyman since he was elected to that office in a special election in February. He said he plans to use his financial acumen to benefit the residents of Queens and New York state.

Weprin’s Assembly district covers Bellerose, Bayside, Douglaston, Floral Park, Fresh Meadows, Glen Oaks, Hollis, Holliswood, Little Neck, New Hyde Park, Oakland Gardens and Queens Village.

Assemblyman Rory Lancman (D-Fresh Meadows) and Assemblywomen Grace Meng (D-Flushing) and Nettie Mayersohn (D-Flushing), who were unopposed for re-election, retained their seats and are headed back to Albany.

Assemblywoman Nettie Mayersohn was a key sponsor of a state bill that would increase access to HIV testing. Photo by Christina Santucci

Gov. David Paterson, whose state has the highest number of AIDS cases in the United States, is considering a measure to increase HIV testing and access to the test among New Yorkers.

A bill shepherded by Assemblywoman Nettie Mayersohn (D-Flushing) as a key sponsor awaited Paterson’s signature Monday afternoon, after passing the state Senate and Assembly near the end of the legislative session.

Mayersohn, who calls HIV prevention the “cornerstone” of her legislative agenda, said the bill would make needed improvements in the ways HIV and AIDS tests are administered across the state.

Unique privacy concerns and barriers associated with the long-misunderstood epidemic have been addressed at last, she said, allowing for opportunities to streamline the process for being tested in the state.

“People are more regularly going to be tested. That’s always been my goal: to ?make sure as many people as possible are tested so that people are aware of their HIV status,” she said. “There are too many people who have HIV and don’t know it, and we want to put an end to the obstacles that are in the way to get tested.”

The law would mandate that physicians offer their patients an HIV test and allow authorization for HIV-related testing to be part of a signed general consent to medical care, or documented oral consent in the case of a rapid HIV test. It would remove the need for a separate written consent, a known barrier to testing.

“By removing these obstacles, increased HIV testing will result in more infected individuals being diagnosed earlier. These patients will require fewer hospitalizations, experience a better quality of life, transmit HIV to fewer, if any, additional people and lower the costs to our health-care system overall,” she said.

Mayersohn recently sent Paterson a letter urging him to sign? the law, which she said has the ability to save lives and prevent HIV-positive individuals from transmitting the virus to others. Anyone who is diagnosed with HIV or AIDS during the testing would receive information and counseling about what it means to test positive.

“The Legislature has now taken the first step of making HIV and AIDS testing more a part of routine medical care,” she said. “I urge the governor to sign this legislation into law so that we can get more New Yorkers tested and into care.”

Nearly 6,000 new HIV cases are reported statewide every year, she said, and more than 20,000 New Yorkers are estimated to be unaware they have the virus. Increased testing is one of the most effective means of tackling the HIV and AIDS epidemic.

“We’re now going to treat HIV like any other communicable disease, and that’s the point we want to get to,” she said.

Reach reporter Connor Adams Sheets by e-mail at csheets@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4538.