There are many important races out there this year in New York. Here are my thoughts on what concepts we should seek this year and where we should be putting our efforts in the elections. Endorsements will come Wednesday and will be based on a similiar theme.

Elect Spitzer as Governor with Mandate

The most important issue this election in the state of New York is to elect Eliot Spitzer as the governor with the strongest mandate of any governor in recent New York history. Spitzer has shown himself as a fighter, and winning the election overwhelming will tell his opponents to get out of his way and to govern.

We have not had a truly great governor of New York since Nelson A. Rockefeller nor have we had such a wealthy governor. Wealthy governors are not concerned about their personal finances or even people who get in their way, instead they will do what they think is right.

Think of all the things that where built under Rockefeller from the Adirondack Northway to the many SUNY campuses to the Empire State Plaza. Or the profound changes in social policy from legalizing abortion, cleaning up our rivers and streams, and building a modern state governor. Spitzer truly can be the next Rockefeller.

Elect a Democratic Congress

Divided government is good government. Good leaders are able to reach out beyond partisanship and build alliances that will last beyond ideology to create truly great public policy. While I don't expect greatness from a President Bush administration, a Democratic Congress will stop bad legislation from coming law.

We have an outstanding opporunity to win back Congress this year. Republicans have done too many foolish things, and even many of their die-hard supporters have been alienated by their party. We are living in another 1974, and this could be the year that we pick up seats that could last for decades. Remember, Congress has a turn-over rate of roughly 2% and incumbents almost always win.

We could dream of having Democrats controlling all three branches of government. Yet, we will have a Republican President for at least two more years who will continue to block our bills. It is possible that we will win the US Senate, though unlikely. Having the US Senate we could control nominations and work with the almost certain Democratic House to pass legislation that the President might not like but feel forced to sign.

Pick Up More Assembly Seats

One of the priorities that are overlooked in Democratic-campaigns across the State is the importance of getting even more Democrats in the Assembly. We have a super-majority of Democrats currently in the Assembly, but adding Democrats will broaden their base and ensure the interests of all New Yorkers are represented in the Assembly.

The Democratic-conference makes it nearly impossible for Republican-ideas to be heard, much less legislated on it. Whole regions of the state with Republican Assemblymen have all but marginalized in the Assembly. You might disagree with the rules and informal pratices of the Assembly like not ever considering Republican bills, however that is unlikely to change.

We already have many rural Democrats elected in the Senate like Darell Aubertine. This year, we have the unique opportunity to get people elected like Andy Brockway for the North Country, Joel Tyner in the Hudson Valley, and Judy Hunter out in Western New York, among others. It might make little difference to the Democrats power in the Assembly, but it will build an even stronger rural Democratic voice in the people's house.

Keep the Republican State Senate

We need to have a check on our next Democratic governor and the Democratic Assembly. Surrounded by Democrats and under constant threat of them taking the majority of the State Senate, Republican Majority Leader Joesph Bruno often conceeds to important Democratic-causes. Yet, if he is gone their will be no check.

Bruno has been blocking bills coming from the Assembly for years just like Shelly has been blocking the State Senate's bills. Yet, these men have come together on many issues and effectively represented the views of both Upstate and Downstate in the issues of the day. Senator Malcolm Smith simply can't represent our interest effectively coming from Queens, despite being a liberal Democrat.

New York has a long history of divided government, even during the solidly Republican days of New York in the 1960s. We always have leaders from Upstate and Downstate. And simply said many of the Democrats that have seniority and minority-chairmanships in the Senate are not particularly good candidates for new committee chairs. The State Senate may be backwards and patronage-ridden, but the Democrats in the Senate are particularly disconcerning as most of them come directly out of the Democratic machine.