Monserrate runs for old Senate seat

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - Expelled from the state Senate, shunned by his party and denounced as a domestic abuser, Hiram Monserrate is seeking his old job back in a special election Tuesday.

The former Democratic state senator from Queens was ousted from his seat five weeks ago after a misdemeanor conviction for dragging his girlfriend through an apartment lobby.

The assault case generated yet more bad publicity for a state Legislature already reeling from a series of corruption scandals.

Monserrate's fellow Democrats had hoped to put the case behind them.

But Monserrate refuses to go quietly.

He has been campaigning hard in what looks like a longshot bid and claims he is the victim of a political vendetta -- an allusion to his brief alliance last year with a Republican-led coalition that paralyzed action in the Senate.

Though he failed to get his expulsion blocked in federal court, Monserrate got on the ballot for the March 16 special election to fill his old seat in the 13th state Senate district, which covers a Democrat-dominated section of Queens.

"This is nothing but an illegitimate power grab by party bosses and Albany insiders who want to get rid of someone who's shown the independence from all the politics as usual," Monserrate said in a phone interview this week.

Monserrate describes his campaign as "grass roots the whole way."

Assemblyman Jose Peralta is running on the Democratic line, so Monserrate created the "Yes We Can" party line. The Republican candidate is Robert Beltrani.

Peralta has vacuumed up dozens of major endorsements from local party and labor leaders.

He has raised far more than Monserrate in recent weeks, and has received contributions from Democratic lawmakers who served with the ex-senator.

Peralta was up 45 points over Monserrate in a Siena College poll released Friday. Beltrani
trailed both men in that poll.

However, special elections are notoriously difficult to predict because of low turnout. Peralta said his campaign is focusing on getting people to vote Tuesday.

"We can't take anything for granted," Peralta said, "anything can happen here."

Monserrate does have higher name recognition, which is usually an advantage in campaigns, but maybe not this time.

Monserrate was heckled at a candidate debate Thursday night. El Diario La Prensa has accused Monserrate of "colossal arrogance and a fundamental lack of judgment," in its endorsement for Peralta, while The New York Times called Monserrate's run shameless.

Gay rights advocates allied as Fight Back New York labeled Monserrate "Target No. 1" in their effort to turn out senators who voted against gay marriage last year.

As Peralta notes, "there's a difference between being recognized and being notorious."

Peralta's camp is pulling no punches either, airing a TV ad featuring the surveillance video of Monserrate pulling his girlfriend through the lobby.

The lawmaker was acquitted of a related charge that he slashed the woman's face with a broken glass during an argument.

Monserrate has apologized for any discredit his conduct brought to the Senate, but said the cut on his girlfriend's face was an accident and that the surveillance footage only showed him taking her to the hospital.