Rose Continues Quest to Be First Black Official on Staten Island

As we like to point out, Staten Island is the only borough never to have elected a public official of color. But in the February special city council election to replace new Congressman Michael McMahon, Debi Rose came close, losing to Kenneth Mitchell by only 342 votes. The Democratic Primary for the non-special city council election is just two months away, and Rose's campaign isn't taking any chances. She has already wrapped up the Staten Island Democratic Association, Independence Party, and Working Families Party endorsements, and today she announces that, just to make sure there's no shenanigans, she has filed 4,189 petition signatures -- more than four times the required number -- to make sure she's on the primary ballot on September 15. (She hasn't done much with her web site, though.)

Mitchell has the leverage of office, and has allowed himself to be seen doling out the goods, but this may be black folks' best shot in S.I. since Reconstruction. (Speaking of which, that photo of Councilmember James Oddo at the last link... with his new facial hair, doesn't he look a lot like a young Basil Paterson?)