Jimmy Dahroug picks up two good endorsements in his bid to turn the State Senate blue. Remember, Jimmy was one of two Democrats who came closest to picking up a State Senate seat in 2006 and has a better shot this year thanks to a better organized campaign and an earlier start. From Jimmy Dahroug's campaign:

Legislator Ricardo Montano, Islip Dem Chair Ivan Young Endorse Dahroug

Today Dahroug for Senate campaign received two major endorsements. Suffolk County Legislator Ricardo Montano, (9th L.D.) representing Brentwood, Central Islip and Islandia, and Islip Town Democratic Chairman Ivan Young officially endorsed Jimmy Dahroug's campaign for New York State Senate (S.D. 3).

While Legislator Montano moved to suspend his bid for the State Senate, he has decided to put his full support behind Jimmy Dahroug. In a letter to Democratic Party Committee Members, Montano stated, "I believe that with hard work and the right candidate we Democrats will win the 3rd Senate District and the State Senate this November. That is why I am endorsing Jimmy Dahroug for State Senate.

Back in January 2006 I had as my goals:

1.) defeating the Bush/Gingrich/McCain agenda nationally

2.) defeating the Pataki, Bruno and Silver Albany constipation

3.) defeating the local Brooklyn Vito Lopez machine.

Still working on #3 through several channels. And it remains to be seen whether indictments or ill health or Brooklyn fatigue with corruption bring down Vito Lopez. For my part I prefer indictments to ill health. But Charles Hynes, the Brooklyn DA, has pushed that aside and has focused on other, also worthy efforts. So we wait to see who will replace Lopez in time.

Goal #1 began to happen in 2006 with a massive take over of the House and an evening up of the Senate. And we have a damned good shot at continuing this in 2008 with MORE House seats, a REAL takeover of the Senate and a White House win by Obama.

I am on the host committee for a fundraiser for Jimmy Dahroug and I hope you can all attend, spread the word, and/or contribute. Jimmy's fundraisers are pretty damned good and this one includes special guest Jim Dean, brother of Howard Dean and head of Democracy for America.

From the Jimmy Dahroug Campaign:

Wed., May. 14, 2008
Manhattan Cocktail Reception
Campaign Co-Chair Dr. Bonnie Maslin and her Husband, Dr. Yehuda Nir are hosting a cocktail reception for our reform campaign. Democracy for America Chair Jim Dean will be the Guest speaker
Location: 1050 Park Avenue, at the corner of East 87th Street
When: 6:00 PM
Ends: 9:00 PM

Wherever you live in New York State, the upcoming election in my district will affect you, me, our friends, and our families for generations to come.

Today, we are only two seats away from gaining a Democratic majority in the New York State Senate. This will end the stagnation caused by four decades of Republican domination including the Republican gerrymandering which has prevented us from turning more of New York's congressional seats blue.

Ivan Young, Dem Chair in Islip, Suffolk County, emails over short, sweet and above all, on the record:

I am confirming that Mr. Bodkin will not be entering the race for the State Senate in the 3rd SD this year.
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

There is no corresponding announcement from Chris Bodkin, republican-turned-Democrat and rumored to be a candidate in the Democratic primary to take on Caesar Trunzo.

Alrighty then. The Democratic candidate to take on Caesar Trunzo is Jimmy Dahroug. The lack of a primary, of course, means that the general election between Trunzo and Dahroug begins, like, now. This will be a closely watched campaign, and can of right be considered a top-tier race for control of the State Senate.

The emails started after the New York Times piece came out on February 16th. Aptly titled In State Senate, Aging Fingers Cling to Power, authored by Danny Hakim, it was a fairly standard meditation on the challenges facing Joe Bruno's caucus as the blue tide washes over New York's last republican bastion.

Problem was, in an article that started with a reference to an aging state senator, Caesar Trunzo, there was no reference to Trunzo's actual, declared Democratic candidate, Jimmy Dahroug. Instead, Hakim featured an undeclared former Nixon/Bush/McCain republican who may or may not run for the seat as a Democrat.

Christopher Bodkin, an Islip Town Board member and a Democrat, is considering challenging Mr. Trunzo, who is 21 years his senior. Mr. Bodkin likened the situation with the Senate Republicans to the United States Senate: “Look at Strom Thurmond: They just kept him going and going because they needed to hang on to a slim majority.”

“I certainly won’t challenge Senator Trunzo on his age,” he said. “He’s there and going back and forth to his district and so forth. I will run on the theme that it’s absolutely time for a change.”

The last significant change in Bodkin's life was his switch from republican to Democratic affiliation.

UPDATE: I am told that it is NOT the Suffolk Dems who are screwing up by running a Republican, but the State level Dems. THAT is a real problem because if the State level Dems are running to lose then we are in real trouble. I wonder how the Suffolk County Dems feel about this?

UPDATE: I am also told that the strategy of running a Repub as a Dem has failed in Suffolk County before. Yet further evidence that this is a losing strategy.

So today I get several emails and instant messages having to do with the number one State Senate race we can win...the one Jimmy Dahroug almost won in 2006. This is our top priority race and we shouldn't fuck it up. So this diary is hopefully going to get everyone back on the right track.

First off, let me indicate that Jimmy Dahroug has a new website. Here it is:

http://www.jimmyforsenate.com/

Second, it seems that someone over at the NY Times has done a really sucky job of doing his research because he discusses this race without even mentioning Jimmy Dahroug. Well, if the NY Times can't figure out who's actually running in the top State Senate race in NY State it shows a sharp decline in the quality of their reporting. To the NY Times: Get your damned act together. Seriously. Don't be so sloppy. It just makes you look bad.

Jimmy Dahroug had the Daily Gotham endorsement ages ago. Dahroug is running for State Senate in Suffolk County. And he really is our best hope to pick up one of the two State Senate seats we need to end Joe Bruno's constipation of our State government.

Recently Dahroug has picked up five new endoresements of some significance. From the Dahroug campaign:

Across New York, we are challenging business as usual politicians and the time worn systems they represent. This is an exciting time for New Yorkers who believe that we really do have the power to put democracy to work reviving our public institutions.

As proof of that desire for change, our campaign received 5 Major Endorsements following our impressive filing.
I am so proud to receive the endorsements of these individuals and organizations:

Let me say how grateful I am for the endorsement of Jon Cooper, Democratic Majority Leader, the Suffolk County Legislature.

This month there are four fundraisers I am pushing. One I am on the host committee of, two I am full on co-host (one of which is at my apartment) and one I am merely plugging for friends.

The first one was last Sunday, and I now have results from that. Sunday, Marjorie Gersten, Joy Romanski and I hosted a fundraiser for Norman Siegel, running for NY Public Advocate. You can read about my (3-year old interrupted) comments on the event here. And you can read another participant's obeservations here at the Brooklyn Optimist. But now I would like to add that the fundraiser did quite well for a small scale event put on by people like me who almost never do fundraising. We brought in $1400 for Norman Siegel. Now I am sure many out there see that as small potatoes, but it's damned good in my world!

If you want to add to this, please call his campaign at 212-448-6271. Tell them Marjorie, David and Joy sent you.

Jimmy Dahroug came within a hair's breadth of winning this State Senate seat in 2006 with very little money or support from the state party. This time around he is raising money like crazy and his chances of winning are high. In 2006 Jimmy Dahroug's race was one of the two closest State Senate races in the state...which means if we want to win those two seats that keep Joe Bruno able to block real governing of New York Jimmy's race is one of the ones we have to win.

The time I met Jimmy Dahroug was at a fundraiser where Jim Dean himself (Howard Dean's brother and head of Democracy for America) introduced Jimmy. You can read about my first meeting with Jim Dean and Jimmy Dahroug here.

I have agreed to join the host committee for a fundraiser for Jimmy Dahroug on Wed. Jan 9th. And here is YOUR invitation to join us in supporting this excellent candidate:

You are Cordially Invited to Attend A Cocktail Reception Hosted by Drs. Bonnie Maslin & Yehuda Nir

In Honor of
JIMMY DAHROUG
CANDIDATE FOR THE NEW YORK STATE SENATE