Dec. 13, 2020 By Michael Dorgan
This could be a hairy move…
Queens Assembly Member David Weprin, who currently has a smooth upper lip, has announced that his trademark moustache could be making a comeback– although New Yorkers will have to pay to see it.
Weprin has declared that he will grow back the facial fur should his campaign reach its monthly fundraising goal of $50,000 before Dec. 31.
The legislator announced his candidacy to become the city’s top fiscal earlier this month. Weprin currently represents Assembly District 24 which covers Richmond Hill, Briarwood, Jamaica Hills, Jamaica Estates, Oakland Gardens and Glen Oaks.
In an unusual plea for campaign funds, Weprin’s moustache does the talking.
“As David’s longtime accessory, I know that he is the best candidate to fill this position,” the mustache said in a campaign e-mail Friday. “We’re on the razor’s edge.”
2 Comments
Queens State Assemblymember David Weprin made it official that he will conduct another run for NYC Comptroller in 2021. This is no surprise to any observer of his political career. One of the worse kept secrets in NYC politics were his once again run for NYC Comptroller in 2021. Since 2001, David Weprin has run and lost races for NYC Council Speaker (2001 & 2005), Congress (2011) and NYC Comptroller (2009). He clearly may be growing tired of his three hour drive to Albany along with being paid only $115,000 per year plus his lulu from NYS Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie for chairing the Committee on Corrections. It has always been in his blood to seek higher public office. The only problem has been that he lost each time. His colleagues and voters have never found him qualified for a promotion to higher office.
Despite his claims of financial expertise, he was never considered a serious candidate by colleagues in the State Legislature to replace former State Comptroller Alan Hevisi in 2007.
NYC Comptroller John Liu and State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli expressed no interest in hiring Weprin for financial knowledge as a Deputy Comptroller.
NYC Council members never promoted him to NYC Council Speaker in 2001 & 2005.
His prior experience as Deputy Superintendent of Banks under Governor Mario Cuomo, Secretary of the Banking Board for New York State and long career on Wall Street made no difference in his previous races. The same will be true when he promotes past time as chair of the Securities Industry Association, and as a member of the Assembly Ways and Means Committee. Makeup of the 2021 Democratic Party primary voters will be different from 2009. There are far fewer Jewish, Italian, Irish and Catholic voters. Older voters continue to move out of NYC upon retirement or die of old age. Hispanic, African American, Asian and Gay voters now are the new majority replacing the old Jewish/Italian/Irish coalition of decades ago. The party has become far more liberal than even Weprin over time with the growing number of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez socialist style Democrats.
In his recent State Assembly Democratic Primary race, despite holding public office for 19 years, he only garnered 46% of the vote. His two opponents combined won 54% of the vote. Lucky for him, they split the vote. There is no reason to believe that his luck will change in the Democratic Primary for NYC Comptroller 2021. .
Larry Penner
David Weprin Political Historian since 2001
please no mustache! He looks super great even to an old ‘biddy’ like me!!!!