Lanza opens his race for state Senate

South Shore Republican councilman cites his 'strong record' in city government during fund-raiser

Friday, June 30, 2006

By TOM WROBLESKI

City Councilman Andrew Lanza formally kicked off his campaign for state Senate last night, touting his "strong record of results and achievement" in city government and pledging to do more in Albany.

"I have such optimism in our future," Lanza (R-South Shore) told about 200 people who attended a $125-per-head fund-raiser in the South Shore Country Club, Huguenot. "Our future is going to be so much better than anybody imagined."

Lanza, who has been endorsed by the borough Republican Party, is battling attorney Robert Helbock, the former GOP chairman, in Republican and Independence primaries.

Lanza, whose appearance was brief so he could return to City Hall to vote on the budget late last night, said he'd worked to secure new parks, ballfields and tennis courts for the South Shore, and a fourth police precinct as well.

"That means the people of our community are going to be safer," he said, "our police are going to be safer, and this community is going to be all it can be."

He said the very size of the $52 billion city budget proves that residents here are "overtaxed."

"That number says it all," said Lanza, who added that City Hall's annual property tax rebate would "unfortunately" be the only tax relief forthcoming in the new budget.

Lanza, a former prosecutor and small-businessman who was first elected in 2001, said he would take his "experience" and "passion" with him to the state Senate.

"I have never backed down from those who don't have Staten Island's best interests at heart," he said.

Lanza said he would be able to do even more in the Senate Republican majority while working with the same GOP elected officials and civic and community leaders that he'd partnered with in the Council.

"I hope to be able to stand in front of all of you in a couple of years and say, once again, we did it together," said Lanza. "I'm proud of what we've accomplished and I'm going to keep moving forward."

Helbock has been endorsed by the Conservative Party. Attorney Matthew Titone is the Democratic candidate in the race.

Tom Wrobleski may be reached at wrobleski@siadvance.com. His polit.bureau blog may be found at http://www.silive.com/newslogs/politics/.

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