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Brian Benjamin may not be on the NY ballot after all


ALBANY, NY – State lawmakers are expected on Monday to find a legal path for the former lieutenant governor, Brian A. Benjamin, who resigned after being impeached. indicted on federal bribery chargeswill be removed from the primary vote.

The move was seen by many as approval for Governor Kathy Hochul, who has publicly called on Democratic leaders of Congress and the Senate to change the law, after other efforts to remove Mr. Benjamin from the vote has stalled.

Under the old law, candidates who had formally accepted a party’s nomination could not be removed from the ballot unless they died, moved out of state, or were nominated to another office. People who have been convicted of felonies are eligible to run for and hold public office under New York law, even though a politician was convicted of a felony while in office, according to the state’s Election Commission.

If Ms. Hochul, a Democrat, fails to change the law, she will probably face the dilemma of running in November with a candidate who is designated No. 2 of her main Democratic opponents.

The new law, which the governor is expected to sign after Congress and the Senate pass the bill on Monday, will allow candidates who have been arrested or charged with a misdemeanor or felony after being nominated. voters are removed from the ballot if they do not intend to. serve.

Democrats for Ms Hochul’s left wing and enemies of the Republican party have described the move as an abuse of power, saying Ms Hochul should not be allowed to change the rules as it fits. with her.

“The rules of democracy really matter,” says Ana Maria Archila, an activist who is running for lieutenant governor. “And the way you do democracy, the way you engage with it is really how you demonstrate your commitment to it.”

“Is anyone else afraid that the Governor – the most powerful person in NY – is changing the rules of the election they are running in midgame to help them look better in said election?” Robert G. Ortt, State Senate Minority Leader, wrote on Twitter.

Leaders in Albany also expressed skepticism at first, with the Senate majority leader, Andrea Stewart-Cousins, saying she “really, really, really” disliked the idea of ​​changing the law. election while the campaign is in progress. Some of her Democratic colleagues in the party’s progressive wing have endorsed the idea of ​​offering Hochul political support after intense budget negotiations.

But lawmakers softened over the weekend, with many suggesting that keeping someone like Mr Benjamin, who was not meant to serve, did not serve the interests of voters on the ballot.

“There is always a negative example that leads us to change. It’s all of this,” said Representative Amy Paulin of Westchester, a sponsor of the bill. “This is for voters who are voting for someone intent on serving. This is not about politics. “

However, political observers note that the optics of ticket-sharing with someone under federal indictment are clearly less than ideal for Ms. Hochul. Mr. Benjamin has pleaded not guilty.

The governor, who is seeking her first full term, received widespread popularity when she assumed the state’s highest office after her predecessor, Andrew M. Cuomo, stepped down. office for alleged sexual harassment. Mr. Cuomo has denied wrongdoing.

Mrs. Hochul quickly started building a fundraising campaign more than 20 million dollars in record time, making her forbidden love for the Democratic nomination.

But a difficult budget process, in which Hochul deducted $850 million in funding for a new stadium for the Buffalo Bills, as well as changes to the state’s bail laws, have eroded much of it. her goodwill with legislators. Her position with voters was also affected, with one University of Siena . poll shows approval ratings in her mid-40s – though she’s only just begun to spend some of her campaign funds on ads highlighting budget achievements.

Under the new process, Mr. Benjamin’s replacement will soon be selected by a committee on vacancies, and Ms. Hochul is likely to have some input.

The final pick will compete with Ms. Hochul’s rival running associates: Diana Reyna, a former New York City congressman who is running alongside Representative Thomas Suozzi of Long Island; and Miss Archila, who is running against New York City public advocate Jumaane Williams.

It is likely that Ms Hochul will appoint her new executive to serve as lieutenant colonel until the end of her current term, but it is likely that she will appoint a temporary placeholder.





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