New York, NY –
Residents in former state Sen. Hiram Monserrate's district are getting their first mailings from "Fight Back New York." In the lead-up to the March 16 special election, the political action committee is targeting Monserrate for voting against New York's gay marriage bill.
Alex Navarro-McKay is coordinating the campaign and says Monserrate broke promises he made to the gay community: "Monserrate not only voted no back in December 2009 on marriage equality, he voted no after telling the pro-marriage equality community that he would support the bill."
In 2008, Monserrate told the Empire State Pride Agenda, a gay-rights organization, that he supported same-sex marriage, and received the group's endorsement. One flyer mailed out this week calls Monserrate a "criminal" who belongs in prison, not public office.
Monserrate was expelled from the state Senate following a misdemeanor assault conviction.
Ailsa Chang is an award-winning journalist who covers criminal justice, terrorism and the courts for WNYC. She found her way into public radio after practicing law for five years, and can definitely say that walking the streets of New York City with a microphone is a lot more fun than being holed up in the office writing letters to opposing counsel.
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