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Monserrate Invents "Yes We Can" Party For Senate Run
By
Ben Muessig
Published Feb 23, 2010
Modified Feb 23, 2010
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By
Ben Muessig
Published Feb 23, 2010
Modified Feb 23, 2010
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Not only is former state Sen. Hiram Monserrate running for his seat again after getting expelled for a misdemeanor conviction—this time he's doing it under the name of a made-up political party. Monserrate filed the needed petitions yesterday in order to get his name on the ballot for the March 16 special election, but since he's been disowned by the Democratic Party after being caught on video dragging his girlfriend down a hallway he decided to run on the "Yes We Can" party line.
The Daily News notes that the "Yes We Can" party seems to be "an homage, perhaps, to Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers or to President Obama, or maybe both." According to Board of Elections documents, the Republican Party doesn't appear to be fielding a candidate, so Queens voters will have to choose between Monserrate and Assemblyman Jose Peralta, who is running on Democratic Party and Working Families Party lines.
Monserrate—who tried to take legal action to block his expulsion and stop the special election—issued the following statement:
I am committed, as I have always been, to defend the rights of the voters and never allowing their vote to be disenfranchised. The amount of community support during the past 6 days proves that voters in this district know who best represents them independently from party bosses, political hacks, and Albany insiders.
Tagged
campaign
Cesar Chavez
election
hiram monserrate
jose peralta
motto
obama
political party
queens
special election
state senate
yes we can
yes we can party
Ben Muessig
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