Congressman Vito?!? (Part II): Senate Majority Leader Dilan?!?

Since I posted about the possibility of Congressman Vito Lopez a few hours ago, I have gotten bombarded with interesting emails from people with various opinions on the subject (most of whom apparently prefer to comment off the record for fear of retribution).

The most interesting tip I've received concerns a move Vito appears to be orchestrating behind the scenes to clear his path to Nydia Velazquez's Congressional seat. The Optimist's source, who claims to have inside knowledge of the dealings, says that State Senator Carl Kruger of Brooklyn, one of the three remaining members of the now infamous Gang of Three, has abandoned his push for State Senator-elect Pedro Espada Jr. of The Bronx to become Senate Majority Leader and now favors Senator Martin Malavé Dilan of Brooklyn for the job.

While no one seriously thinks right now that Marty Dilan could bypass Minority Leader Malcolm Smith and get elected to the State Senate's top post, the fact that these moves are even being made casts a fascinating light upon Vito's skillful maneuverings. If Dilan became Minority Leader, Vito would be rid of his chief potential rival for Velazquez's seat.

Yes, this is all still speculation, but that doesn't mean it can be simply dismissed as idle chatter. Never underestimate Vito. After Clarence Norman went down, no one ever thought Vito would be able to take over the Brooklyn Democratic Party either. We've all seen how right they were.

Brooklyn Politics: Who are Brooklyn's New York State Senators? (2008)

As Part II of the Optimist's public service series to his fellow Brooklynites, the following is a current list of Brooklyn's State Senators. To make the list as helpful as possible, I've linked each name to the elected officials' homepage.

If you don't know in what district you live, you can find out everything you need to know by entering your address into the New York City Board of Elections' website right here.

STATE SENATORS REPRESENTING KINGS COUNTY (9 Total):

17th SD: Martin Malavé Dilan
18th SD: Velmanette Montgomery
19th SD: John Sampson
20th SD: Eric Adams
21st SD: Kevin Parker
22nd SD: Martin Golden
23rd SD: Diane Savino (also represents Staten Island)
25th SD: Martin Connor (NOTE: Connor was defeated in the 2008 Democratic Primary by Daniel Squadron, which will bring an end to his 30-year incumbency in January 2009. Given the fact that Brooklyn is heavily Democratic, Squadron is virtually assured of winning the general election, despite the fact that he has a Republican challenger.)
27th SD: Carl Kruger