Feld and Oppenheimer Clash Over Rights to Obama's Change Mantle
Westchester race may be best chance for GOP pick-up, and referendum on property tax
Mon, 11 Aug 2008 15:16:00
The race for State Senate in Westchester County is shaping up to be a showdown between the circuit breaker and the tax cap.
Larchmont Mayor Liz Feld (R) is slamming her opponent, 12-term Sen. Suzi Oppenheimer (D-Westchester), for not supporting Gov. David Paterson's (D) property tax cap proposal. But Oppenheimer says a tax cap would be unnecessary if the Legislature passes a circuit breaker-a system that ensures that property taxes do not exceed a certain percentage of a homeowner's income.
A recent Sienna Poll found voters preferring a circuit breaker to a tax cap. But what that will mean for the Oppenheimer-Feld race is so far unclear in this race which was on no one's radar just a few months ago. But partially on the strength of Feld's candidacy, Republicans seem to think that the district is their best chance of a pick-up in a year when Democrats are expecting to focus most of their efforts on offense, rather than defense.
Oppenheimer took in around $60,000 in donations as of July, while Feld raised $90,000, with an added $150,000 transfer from the Senate Republican Campaign Committee. Feld has outspent her opponent as well, putting out a little more than $200,000. Oppenheimer has more than $68,000 on hand and Feld has $43,000 on hand.
As is true of many races around the country, the presidential campaign seems to be echoing down to the local level-except in reverse across party lines. In one corner, there is Feld, a young, feisty Republican who favors a tax cap proposal championed by Democrats and who borrows heavily from Illinois Sen. Barack Obama's (D) message of change. In the other is Oppenheimer, one of the state's longest-serving incumbents who is known for working closely with Senate Republicans, but who is pushing her own message of change.
At first, Liz Feld, pictured with her daughter, K.C., has been critical
of the Senate majority for not picking up a property tax cap earlier.
After announcing her candidacy, Feld came fast out of the gate, airing a television ad and holding a press conference to re-affirm her support among the Republican establishment. At first, she was a voice in the wilderness, critical of the Senate majority for not picking up the issue. Now, with new Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos moving the tax cap to the top of the agenda, she seems to have been ahead of the trend.
Feld has also tried to highlight her bipartisan appeal-she was elected mayor of Larchmont on a coalition ticket with two Democrats-and her independent streak.
"My vote belongs to one group and that is the voters of this district," she said. "It doesn't belong to any party."
Feld is portraying Oppenheimer as too entrenched in the Legislature to upend the system. Lifting phrases and themes from Obama's presidential campaign, Feld is calling for a "new generation of leadership in Albany."
"Anyone who stays too long can get tired or run down," she said of Oppenheimer, then wondered how a senator who has been in Albany for more than 20 years could ever hope to portray herself as an agent of reform.
"What is the slogan?" Feld joked, "'Everything changes in term 13?'"
But Oppenheimer is not content to be John McCain to Feld's Obama (even though she is two years older than the Republican presidential nominee). How can Feld be the candidate of change, Oppenheimer wondered, if she is the chosen candidate of the Senate Republicans?
"That's not change," she said. "It is the Senate Republicans who have consistently blocked change and reform."
Oppenheimer said real change will come in November, when Democrats take the Senate.
She called her support in the district strong, citing a recent poll that found almost 50 percent of voters in her district had reported meeting her at least once during her 24 years in the Senate.
Enrollment in the district also distinctly favors Oppenheimer, with Democrats outnumbering Republicans 91,000 to 55,000.
Feld has still managed to secure the endorsement of a few key Democrats, including Larchmont Village Board Trustee Jim Milstein (D), who raised $100,000 for Feld at a recent event.
"I think she's a breath of fresh air," said Milstein. "She's been successful at getting both sides of the aisle in Larchmont to work together."
Still, Milstein acknowledged that the race would be an uphill battle.
Feld has been successful at least in giving the impression that the race could be hard fought, said Jeffrey Binder, a consultant for the Westchester-based Strategic Political Group.
"She's starting to create the perception that there could be a vigorous race in the fall and that she's someone who is going to be not just a sacrificial lamb," Binder said.
Still, her early ad campaign and press conference with Republican Senate leaders is as much for the benefit of donors as it is for voters, Binder said.
"It's an early pop to give her name ID so that the insiders see that there may be a race," he said.
If Republicans with deep pockets perceive her as someone who could give Oppenheimer a run for her money, they would be more inclined to donate money to her campaign, he said.
"They could make a decision as to whether to continue to fund the race," Binder added, "or pull the plug."
Larchmont Mayor Liz Feld (R) is slamming her opponent, 12-term Sen. Suzi Oppenheimer (D-Westchester), for not supporting Gov. David Paterson's (D) property tax cap proposal. But Oppenheimer says a tax cap would be unnecessary if the Legislature passes a circuit breaker-a system that ensures that property taxes do not exceed a certain percentage of a homeowner's income.
A recent Sienna Poll found voters preferring a circuit breaker to a tax cap. But what that will mean for the Oppenheimer-Feld race is so far unclear in this race which was on no one's radar just a few months ago. But partially on the strength of Feld's candidacy, Republicans seem to think that the district is their best chance of a pick-up in a year when Democrats are expecting to focus most of their efforts on offense, rather than defense.
Oppenheimer took in around $60,000 in donations as of July, while Feld raised $90,000, with an added $150,000 transfer from the Senate Republican Campaign Committee. Feld has outspent her opponent as well, putting out a little more than $200,000. Oppenheimer has more than $68,000 on hand and Feld has $43,000 on hand. As is true of many races around the country, the presidential campaign seems to be echoing down to the local level-except in reverse across party lines. In one corner, there is Feld, a young, feisty Republican who favors a tax cap proposal championed by Democrats and who borrows heavily from Illinois Sen. Barack Obama's (D) message of change. In the other is Oppenheimer, one of the state's longest-serving incumbents who is known for working closely with Senate Republicans, but who is pushing her own message of change.
At first, Liz Feld, pictured with her daughter, K.C., has been critical
of the Senate majority for not picking up a property tax cap earlier.
After announcing her candidacy, Feld came fast out of the gate, airing a television ad and holding a press conference to re-affirm her support among the Republican establishment. At first, she was a voice in the wilderness, critical of the Senate majority for not picking up the issue. Now, with new Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos moving the tax cap to the top of the agenda, she seems to have been ahead of the trend.
Feld has also tried to highlight her bipartisan appeal-she was elected mayor of Larchmont on a coalition ticket with two Democrats-and her independent streak.
"My vote belongs to one group and that is the voters of this district," she said. "It doesn't belong to any party."
Feld is portraying Oppenheimer as too entrenched in the Legislature to upend the system. Lifting phrases and themes from Obama's presidential campaign, Feld is calling for a "new generation of leadership in Albany."
"Anyone who stays too long can get tired or run down," she said of Oppenheimer, then wondered how a senator who has been in Albany for more than 20 years could ever hope to portray herself as an agent of reform.
"What is the slogan?" Feld joked, "'Everything changes in term 13?'"
But Oppenheimer is not content to be John McCain to Feld's Obama (even though she is two years older than the Republican presidential nominee). How can Feld be the candidate of change, Oppenheimer wondered, if she is the chosen candidate of the Senate Republicans?
"That's not change," she said. "It is the Senate Republicans who have consistently blocked change and reform."
Oppenheimer said real change will come in November, when Democrats take the Senate.
She called her support in the district strong, citing a recent poll that found almost 50 percent of voters in her district had reported meeting her at least once during her 24 years in the Senate.
Enrollment in the district also distinctly favors Oppenheimer, with Democrats outnumbering Republicans 91,000 to 55,000.
Feld has still managed to secure the endorsement of a few key Democrats, including Larchmont Village Board Trustee Jim Milstein (D), who raised $100,000 for Feld at a recent event.
"I think she's a breath of fresh air," said Milstein. "She's been successful at getting both sides of the aisle in Larchmont to work together."
Still, Milstein acknowledged that the race would be an uphill battle.
Feld has been successful at least in giving the impression that the race could be hard fought, said Jeffrey Binder, a consultant for the Westchester-based Strategic Political Group.
"She's starting to create the perception that there could be a vigorous race in the fall and that she's someone who is going to be not just a sacrificial lamb," Binder said.
Still, her early ad campaign and press conference with Republican Senate leaders is as much for the benefit of donors as it is for voters, Binder said.
"It's an early pop to give her name ID so that the insiders see that there may be a race," he said.
If Republicans with deep pockets perceive her as someone who could give Oppenheimer a run for her money, they would be more inclined to donate money to her campaign, he said.
"They could make a decision as to whether to continue to fund the race," Binder added, "or pull the plug."
