Christopher McGrath kicks off State Senate campaign

April 19's special election impacts Albany’s balance of power

Posted

Hewlett Harbor resident Christopher McGrath officially kicked off his campaign for the 9th Senate District seat vacated by Dean Skelos surrounded by family, friends and a roomful of Republican supporters in the Imperial Room of the VFW Hall in his native Inwood on Wednesday.

McGrath is opposing Assemblyman Todd Kaminsky (D-Long Beach) in a special election on April 19, the date of the presidential primary in New York state. Skelos, along with his son Adam, were convicted of corruption charges in December.

A respected trial lawyer, known for his ethics, McGrath said that he likes Kaminsky and doesn’t want to run a negative campaign. “I like my opponent and I’ll like him even more as an assemblyman,” McGrath said. That line generated much laughter.

Standing a few blocks from where he grew up at 136 Roger Ave., McGrath related a synopsis of his life story: His father died when McGrath was 18 months old; his mother raised him and two sisters, “she did a great job,” and what made Inwood special: “We played with everyone, no matter the race, no matter the religion,” he said.” All you did was play. We are losing a little bit of that and we want to get back to that.”

The Lawrence High School graduate who married his prom date, Monica DiPalma, and attended the now closed Our Lady of Good Counsel that was connected with the church (still open) of the same name in Inwood, said that he worked at three places in his life: Morton’s Army Navy Store in Cedarhurst, the Atlantic Beach Club in Atlantic Beach doing everything, including being a cabana boy; and his Garden City law firm Sullivan, Papain, Block, McGrath & Cannavo P.C., where he is a partner.

McGrath and Town of Hempstead Supervisor Anthony Santino came out swinging and said that this election is critical as it will decide the balance of power in Albany. Should McGrath win, the GOP retains its State Senate majority. If Kaminsky wins that would tilt power in favor of the Democrats who hold the majority in the Assembly coupled with a Democratic governor.

“There is so much at stake, we here in Nassau County don’t want to turn over the reins to the Bill de Blasio far left wing Democrats,” said Santino, who told the crowd that McGrath came from “humble beginnings but never forgot where he came from.”

McGrath made note of what Democrats did when in control of both legislative houses for a couple of years beginning in 2007 from pushing through the commuter tax and in his view not governing properly.

He said he is not a fan of the Common Core Learning Standards, but believes it is his job to protect kids. McGrath said that public schools should not be short-changed one dollar and he is in favor of helping the parents of private-school children. “This is bigger than me against Todd Kaminsky,” he said. “This is about what you want for your family values.”

Town of Hempstead Councilman Bruce Blakeman, who served in the County Legislature, on the Port Authority Commission and has run for state comptroller and Congress believes McGrath, is the right individual to serve. “I can’t think of a better person to represent the 9th Senate District,” Blakeman said.