Voters in New York’s 52nd State Senate District have the unique opportunity to alter state government policy on Nov. 4. While elections at the federal level aren’t likely to break the bipartisan gridlock in Washington, the fight for control of the New York State Senate will largely determine the political direction of the state in the coming years.
The New York State Assembly is controlled by a large majority of Democrats, but the Senate is run by a coalition of Republicans and a group of breakaway downstate Democrats who have formed a separate conference called the Independent Democratic Conference (IDC). Gov. Cuomo has worked closely with the Republican-IDC coalition to impose fiscal austerity during an unsteady economic recovery. The conservative leadership has also blocked progressive legislation from passing through the legislature. Bills like the DREAM Act, Equal Pay for Equal Work, GENDA (Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act), paid sick leave and tuition-free SUNY and CUNY have been prevented from becoming law and state funding for public education has been continually cut.
However, over the summer the IDC announced plans to rejoin the Democrats following the upcoming elections, creating potential for the Democrats to take control of the Senate. In order to do so, Democrats must win closely contested races outside of the New York City area.
The 52nd State Senate District, which includes Binghamton, is the site of one of these significant races. Sen. Tom Libous (R) has safely held the seat since 1988. Libous boasts a staunchly conservative voting record on both social and economic issues. Furthermore, after having benefited from the current election system for so many years, it is unlikely that Sen. Libous will be open to essential changes in campaign finance laws and independent redistricting.
What makes 2014 different in terms of Sen. Libous’ prospects for re-election is that he is currently under investigation by the federal government for corruption charges. Sen. Libous allegedly used his position as a state senator to get his son a job with a prestigious law firm and then lied to the FBI when under investigation for that activity. Corruption and ethics reform are important issues among a majority of New York voters and these charges will likely hurt Sen. Libous at the polls in November. The scandal prompted Rep. Denver Jones to primary Sen. Libous for the Republican nomination. Although Sen. Libous ultimately defeated Jones, Jones’ ability to collect enough petitions to enter the primary suggests at least some degree of dissatisfaction among voters.
Now, Sen. Libous faces a general election challenge from Democrat Anndrea Starzak. Starzak worked for over 20 years as a teacher in Vestal and Owego and also served for three terms as the Town of Vestal supervisor. Her platform focuses on infrastructure improvements, renewable energy development, campaign finance reform and support for public education.
While the Republican-led Senate consistently cuts funding for education and instead uses public money to support private charter schools, upstate Democrats led an effort during the 2014-15 budget negotiations to fight for more state aid for public schools. Starzak hopes to join this important struggle by fighting privatization efforts and by securing more funding for educational institutions of all levels. As a former Binghamton University graduate student, Starzak recognizes the importance of advocating for a budget and policies that reduce the costs of public education for students.
If Starzak is elected to the Senate along with a Democratic majority, important legislation will be passed to hold public officials like Sen. Libous more accountable to the public for their actions. Credible accountability will significantly increase the amount of power average citizens have over the political system. But Starzak’s election — and the progressive movement of New York state — will require the support of citizens and students who share her vision.