Five Democrats Look to Fill Retiring Sullivan’s Shoes

For most, the third time's a charm. For 69th District State Assemblyman Ed Sullivan, it took 12 re-elections to get the job done. And after 26 years in the Assembly and at the age of 69, the Democratic leader is trading in his political title for a writer's pen.

"I want to start a new career in fiction and political writing," Sullivan said. "I can't wait until I'm 89 to do that."

But as one man leaves politics, a handful of would-be legislators are ready to fill his place.

The departure of Sullivan, who was beloved by most of his constituents during his long tenure, has created an early race to fill the open position. For these candidates vying for Sullivan's job, it is a race not without obstacles.

Sullivan's popularity inevitably poses a challenge for contenders to show they can fill his shoes. As a result, in the early stages of the campaign, many candidates have emulated Sullivan's policies and views.

Sullivan, who will officially leave his position in December, has served as the chairman of the Assembly's Higher Education Committee since 1987. As his multiple re-elections demonstrate, his political career has been successful in winning the support of his constituency and bringing positive change to the 69th district, which encompasses most of the Upper West Side.

Among his greatest successes in the Assembly, Sullivan notes one of his first initiatives as chairman of the then brand-new Library Committee, to "put libraries on the front burner." His work, which included sending daily poems to members of the Assembly, led the state to more than double funding to public libraries over 10 years.

Sullivan's work in Albany did not restrict his work on the local level. His face was a regular in meetings to improve communication between Columbia University and district residents, and he provided legal support for rent stabilization and avoidance of "ethnic cleansing" of the neighborhood.

"It's a double role that Sullivan has played," said resident Carolyn Kent, "seeking the welfare of the district and representing the importance of this district in Albany, because we are the center of liberal thinking."

If it will be difficult to find someone with Sullivan's experience, it won't be difficult to find someone to represent the liberal thinking of the 69th district. Many residents have been rumored to be running, but five primary potential candidates have come into the race as early frontrunners--and they are all Democrats.

 

Education

All five early frontrunners--Danny O'Donnell, a Community Board 9 member; Cynthia Doty, Sullivan's executive assistant; Joyce Johnson, former executive assistant to Chancellor Rudy Crew; Marc Landis, a Democratic Party District leader; and Steve Strauss, vice-president of the Broadway Malls Association--have named education a primary issue for their campaigns.

Sullivan agreed that education should continue to be a focus for political action in the Assembly following his departure. "The big problem with higher education now is that the number of students who want to go is rapidly increasing," Sullivan explained. "That's good for the city, but older generations haven't gotten used to this, they haven't awakened to the need for money to fund this trend."

Many candidates pointed to funding as an issue not only for higher education, but also for primary and secondary public schools. Almost all of the candidates described a critical need for smaller classes, more school resources, and better training and salaries for teachers. Johnson said the education issue goes beyond increased funding.

"We have to do for education what Rudy Giuliani did for quality of life. Education should be everybody's first language," Johnson said. "Improving [education] is simply about better management and organization."

 

Housing

Rent stabilization, Mitchell-Lama housing, and evictions were the second most common issues raised by potential candidates.

"The housing issue is really in jeopardy in the 69th district. It's becoming destabilized by skyrocketing rents," Doty said. She said most of the case work she receives in Sullivan's office deals with tenants evicted from low- and middle-class housing due to institutional development or increasing rents.

Landis said the powerful role that Albany plays in housing, in terms of making laws and funding, was one of the main reasons he entered the race. Creating a stable housing market in the district requires a "careful balancing act," he said.

"We want the neighborhood to remain affordable," Landis explained, "but at the same time, we want to have incentive for landlords to maintain the quality of their property."

 

Other Issues

In addition to education and tenants' issues, O'Donnell specified environmental justice as an issue of primary concern for the 69th district. He noted that Harlem has become a center of pollution in the city because it is the site of most of the city's bus depots and the marine waste transfer station, a temporary storage site for garbage. "There needs to be much more balance on this issue," he said, adding the city's recycling policy to the list of important environmental issues for the election.

Strauss noted increased funding for city transportation as an area of primary importance for his campaign. He said that, in general, New York City has been shortchanged by the state in receiving funding, primarily in public transportation and education. Noting that the city has long supported the state financially, Strauss said, "Now that things have turned down for New York City, the state needs to step up to the plate. Ö We should be getting a better deal from Albany financially."

 

Representing a Diverse District

An area of concern for some district residents is that many of the primary potential candidates in the race have been active primarily in the southern or in the northern part of the district, depending on their residence.

"We need a representative who can represent all the neighborhoods in the district," said resident Joyce Hackett. "The new representative will need to be flexible in reaching out to our multiple communities."

Of the major candidates, Johnson, who is African-American, is the only minority. She and Doty are the only women.

Marc Landis, who is the only candidate who lives outside of the district, said the district should not be seen in a north-versus-south perspective, as the major issues of the election cover the entire district.

"We band together because we believe in common causes," he said. "These causes are not something that differs depending on whether you live above or below 110th Street."

The candidates will not become official until petitions for candidacy are submitted to the Board of Elections in July. The primary, which will most likely decide the Assembly race, will take place on Sept. 10. For the residents of the 69th District, it will be one of the most important political decisions in 30 years.

"This is not some ordinary, run-of-the-mill district," said Kent. "We must be a bright light in the assembly, and we need a very mature leader Ö [who] won't let this light go out."