Hiram Monserrate, the former New York State Senator expelled after his criminal domestic abuse conviction, was booed and heckled Thursday night as he debated his Democratic and Republican opponents. The Queens former Democrat, now running as an Independent, is battling Democrat Jose Peralta for his former seat. Monserrate missed a felony conviction but was still found guilty of dragging his girlfriend by the hair through his apartment building lobby and driving her miles out of the way to a hospital — because he had slashed her face with a broken glass — where he would not be recognized. Hecklers reportedly “slashed” their own faces, with lipstick, throughout the debate when Monserrate talked of “cutting” the budget.
Peralta is widely expected to win Tuesday’s special election, and has successfully endeared himself to the LGBTQ community that Monserrate turned on, causing him to be the subject of a focused attack by Fight Back NY, who has secured Cynthia Nixon as their spokesperson. Monserrate supporters distributed anti-gay, pro-Monserrate leaflets in Queens churches last Sunday. Monserrate received the endorsement of a coalition of anti-gay religious leaders when he announced he would no longer support same-sex marriage. Monserrate also voted against New York’s marriage equality bill last December before being expelled from the Senate.
Gotham Gazzette, which has a full rundown of last night’s debate, reports,
“His record on LGBT issues demonstrates that he does not duck and run when our bills come up for a vote,” Allen Van Capelle, then the executive director of Empire Pride, said in a statement. “He has stood up for us in the Assembly, and we will stand with him in his race for the State Senate.”
Peralta also served as grand marshall in 2008 for the Queens’ annual Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Parade, held in Jackson Heights.
“Same-sex marriage is about equality, justice, and civil rights,” Peralta said. “Here we have a group of individuals that want equality. They want the same life every other couple can have.”
The New York Daily News said,
Peralta clearly appeared to be the favorite as he repeatedly took jabs at Monseratte.
“I believe New Yorkers deserve better,” he said. “You need to elect someone who has the political capital and whose colleagues will be willing to work with.”
And if their online poll (above) is any indication, the election will go to Peralta, by a good deal more than a razor-thin margin.
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