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(excerpt from) City Hall news blog
Democrats Try To Lure Cooper Into State Senate Race Over Gillibrand Challenge
Suffolk county legislator seen as top prospect against Carl Marcellino
By Sal Gentile
Suffolk county legislator Jon Cooper has been mulling whether to challenge Kirsten Gillibrand in a Democratic primary next year, with an announcement set for Monday. And as he makes his final decision, party officials have been encouraging him to run for Senate — State Senate, that is.
According to Democratic officials, Cooper is seen as one of the strongest potential challengers to State Sen. Carl Marcellino, a Republican whose district is split between Nassau and Suffolk…
“If Jon Cooper can bite into that, while at the same time maybe rally the equality groups, the gay rights groups over marriage and things like that, that would make an interesting race.” [A Senate Democratic official said.]…
Recruiting him into a State Senate race would help clear the field for Gillibrand, who has gone to great lengths to shore up her progressive credentials. While most Democratic officials do not see Cooper as a serious threat to Gillibrand, they would nonetheless prefer that she run unopposed. (Labor activist Jonathan Tasini has already declared his intention to run.)…
Filed under: News Tagged: | Carl Marcellino, Jon Cooper, Kirsten Gillibrand, lgbt, long island, marriage equality, Same-Sex Marriage, Suffolk County
Giving the LGBT community a member of their own to support would take the heat off State Senate Democrats who voted “No”. The community would be so focused on electing Cooper, they would not focus on un-electing the “No” votes.