In Staten Island there is a blast from Brooklyn's past running for the City Council in what's called the Mid-Island district

 

Folks in Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights should well-remember Sal Albanese, long-time school board member, Democratic Party District Leader, City Councilman, and unsuccessful candidate for the NYS Assembly, the U.S. Congress, and Mayor for the City of New York

Sal is trying to get back into the New York City Council from the Mid-Island District of Staten Island after having served there as a Brooklyn Councilman from 1983 through 1997

Sal Albanese is a longtime political warhorse, who this year might disprove the old addage that "... there are no second acts in politics."

Like so many of us, Sal and his wife Lorraine moved from Southwest Brooklyn across "The Bridge" to Staten Island.  As a child, Sal Albanese emigrated from Italy with his family, and he became a local Brooklyn success story. After college at the CUNY, he became a NYC teacher, who then became a member of the local school board, ran for the NYS Assembly, became the Democrat District Leader for Bay Ridge and Sunset Park, was elected to the New York City Council by beating long-time Republican-Conservative Angelo Arculeo in a district, whose character and boundaries were very much like those of the current 43rd Council District in Brooklyn, except it was much more Republican and conservative then.

Now, in Staten Island, Albanese is running for the so-called Mid-Island City Council seat, which has long been held by Republicans.  Although it is in an area that voted for president Trump in 2020, it is also one that has elected a longtime moderate Democrat, Michael Cusick, as its legislative representative to the NYS Assembly.  

Some observers believe that Albanese has more going for him than the other Democrat candidates that ran in the Mid-Island council district in previous years. In addition to still having a formidable campaign fund of over ninety thousand bucks ($90,507) available, Albanese has been endorsed by several law enforcement, firefighter and other municipal unions.

Also making the Albanese campaign more interesting in this rather GOP leaning conservative-minded district is that Sal has been campaigning on a strong public safety platform. It also doesn't hurt Sal at all  >>>  that he ran against Mayor de Blasio in two mayoral primaries. On the stump, Albanese has been telling voters, and anyone elese that will listen, that he believes de Blasio is the worst mayor New York City ever had. 

Sal Albanese especially bristles at any and all Republican charges that he is just another Mayor de Blasio Democrat  ---  “I’ve always appealed to broad based constituencies. It’s been my approach every time I run for office.... Calling me a ‘Bill de Blasio Democrat’ is [ ] a joke.” 

Although it might not count for much on Staten Island, it should also be noted that several times during Brooklyn State Senator Marty Golden's runs for re-election, Sal Albanese had been quite open in his support of the conservative Republican from Bay Ridge.

Another interesting facet that makes the campaign for this city council seat more competitive this time around is that there is a candidate named George Wonica,  a well-known Staten Island realtor, who is running in the Mid-Island City Council District on the Conservative Party line.  Given the fact that Staten Islander Bill Pepitone is also running for mayor on the Conservative Party line, Wonica could wind up taking a substantial number of  votes away from the Republican City Council nominee in the Mid-Island district, David Carr.  All of that is to the benefit of Democrat Sal Albanese.