The Riverdale Press
Political Arena
Thursday, July 20, 2006
 

Yeas and nays 

Between 9,000 and 10,000 New Yorkers signed petitions nominating state Sen. Eric Schneiderman for another term representing the 31^st District in Albany.

So far Mr. Schneiderman is unopposed in the Democratic primary, and he has also accepted the nomination to appear on the Working Families Party ballot line in the general election.

More than 10 Democratic clubs throughout Mr. Schneiderman’s district collected signatures over the past six weeks, with the Benjamin Franklin Reform Democratic Club contributing 2,100 signatures to the effort.

The Committee of 100 Democrats gathered more than 2,500 signatures from the Bronx Democrats in an effort to ensure that its slate of candidates is on the ballot for the primary in September.

The club collected signatures for Congressmen Eliot Engel and Jose Serrano; state Assemblymembers Jose Rivera, Naomi Rivera and Jeffrey Dinowitz; state Sens. Efrain Gonzalez, and Jeff  Klein and state attorney general candidate Mark Green.

"Boy, I am glad  it’s over," said Committee chairman Ricky Martinez, who filed his club’s petitions with the city Board of Elections.\This was the Committee of 100 Democrats' first petition drive in 12 years and the club partnered with the Benjamin Franklin Reform Democratic Club in the drive.

Anthony Rivieccio, the committee’s executive director, described the club’s mission as threefold: "To work with Bronx County, The Ben Franklin Club and (to) show our strength and independence in assisting an 'independent candidate.'"