By Brian Bohl
Outside of Senate races still being contested in Georgia and Minnesota, much of the political drama dissipated following November's elections. But the buzz that preceded President-elect Barack Obama's victory, coupled with Democratic gains in Congressional races, could soon escalate in New York.
Hillary Rodham Clinton's departure from the U.S. Senate in order to accept the Secretary of State position in the Obama administration will force Gov.
David Paterson to choose a successor, allowing for the possibility that a Long Islander could be on his way to Washington, D.C. as New York's new junior senator.
Nassau County executive Thomas Suozzi, is already being touted as a potential replacement for Clinton in a competition that will feature plenty of back-room discussions. Congressman Steve Israel, who represents communities in Suffolk County along with a portion of Nassau County (Jericho, Old Bethpage, Plainview, Syosset and Woodbury) as part of the 2nd District, is also one of many names being tossed around the rumor mill.
New York's Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has also kept his name in the running, though the early possibilities shouldn't be viewed as anything more than speculation. It's easy for pundits and citizens in the metro area to tout officials familiar to those who live in Long Island or New York City. Yet the state's next senator will be entrusted with helping people in the entire state and not just those who live below the Palisades.
Paterson is said to be seriously giving consideration to hiring a minority to replace Clinton, preferably one from upstate. As long as the person selected is qualified, that would be a wise choice. For all the talk from some Republicans and even Democrats who suggested Obama's victory was aided by his race, there is this sobering reality.
Currently, blacks comprise just 42 members in the 435-member House of Representatives. Despite making up 13 percent of the population, just 9.5 percent of House members are black in the 110th Congress.
Things are appearing to improve on the diversity front, though the numbers are still too low to where Paterson's pick could still hold historical significance. With Obama leaving the Senate, there are currently no black senators in the 100-member body. That's unacceptable and Paterson will have no shortage of qualified candidates of color to replace Clinton.
Some argue that using race as any type of requirement for office is the type of thing civil rights leaders gave their lives to combat. Ideally, race, ethnicity and religion should not matter to voters and should not decide who gets to govern in a democracy. But when there have been only four black governors in this country's history and a dearth of representation in the Senate, it proves that it's still an issue which hopefully will become less of a burden after Obama's historic victory.
Paterson should opt for a fresh face and go outside of the city/metropolitan suburbs to bring a fresh perspective at a time when the federal government could use some new ideas to combat an economy that continues to eat away at the retirement portfolios of millions. The governor has the ability to pick someone who won't be a lame duck, as whoever is named as Clinton's replacement will have two years before having to campaign for a special election to retain the seat. Paterson should make the bold move instead of tapping a professional politician like Suozzi, who was walloped, 81-19 percent, in the Democratic primary to the now-disgraced former Gov. Eliot Spitzer in 2007.
Long Island and New York City are already well-represented at the state government. While cities like Buffalo and Rochester can't compete with New York City's size, wealth or prestige, they still are good places to look for a new senator.
At a time when Obama posted a landslide victory by promising change, Paterson can help deliver by making an inspired selection.
Brian Bohl is a master's candidate for journalism. You may e-mail him at brian.bohl@hofstra.edu.
