Gannett Albany Bureau
by Jacob Fischler
October 15, 2010
ALBANY -- Meet your third-party candidates for governor.
One is a former Manhattan madam, another wants to legalize marijuana. One was once a comedian-martial arts entertainer, another buys expiring Web domain names. The fifth candidate is a tough-talking New York City councilman.
In a race dominated by Democrat Andrew Cuomo and Republican Carl Paladino, the third-party candidates bring an eclectic mix to the gubernatorial race. And all seven of them will be on the stage Monday at the only debate planned among the candidates.
The debate is scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday at Hofstra University in Nassau County.
Kristin Davis, 35, is the gubernatorial candidate on the Anti-Prohibition Party line. She is best known as the alleged madam of the escort service used by former governor Eliot Spitzer, but she said she has a list of policy issues for the campaign.
She is running on a platform to legalize marijuana, gay marriage and prostitution.
"I hope that people will judge me by the things I'm saying now," she said in regard to her criminal past, which includes a four-month stint at Rikers Island for promoting prostitution.
Another pro-marijuana, pro-gay marriage gubernatorial candidate is the Green Party's Howie Hawkins. Hawkins, 57, is calling for a ban on the controversial technique of hydrofracking for natural gas drilling.
Hailing originally from San Francisco, the former UPS truck unloader and current Teamsters union member attended Dartmouth College. After college he moved to Syracuse, where he has lived since 1991. He has run unsuccessfully for a variety of public offices, including U.S. Senate and the Syracuse common council.
"I believe that the fiscal deficit is a matter of politics, not economics," said Hawkins. "It's money-drenched politicians doing what the big banks of Wall Street say, not what market forces say."
New York City Councilman Charles Barron, D-Brooklyn, is running on the Freedom Party line, a candidacy spurred by the fact that the Democrats have an all-white statewide ticket. He isn't the only political figure in his family: his wife, Inez Barron, is a state assemblywoman.
Before he was elected to city council, Barron, 60, attended New York Technical College and then Hunter College, where he received a bachelor's degree in sociology. After college, Barron was a leader of the National Black United Front. He also was active in the Black Panther Party, a controversial civil rights organization.
Barron said Paladino and Cuomo can't stamp out corruption or cut back on the state's onerous tax burden because they are part of the problem.
"It's like asking the arsonist to put out fires," he said.
The Libertarian candidate for governor is Warren Redlich, 44, running on the three-word motto that he said sums up his entire campaign, "stop wasting money." He wants to cut state spending, eliminate some state agencies and cap the pay and pensions of public workers.
"The laws only bind regular people," said Redlich. "They don't bind government, they don't bind big corporations."
The Guilderland, Albany County, attorney operates his own Internet database of traffic courts nationwide, but he also dabbles in the business of purchasing expired Web domains, from which he said he makes $100 a day from the ads already placed on the websites.
The reason Jimmy McMillan is running is clear in the name of his party: Rent is Too Damn High. The Brooklyn-based community activist has held several jobs in multiple fields. Most recently, McMillan was a letter carrier. He said that he was once a comedian-martial arts entertainer.
McMillan, 64, also writes and produces his own music, much of which can be found on the party's website. The focus of many of his songs: high rent.
"Rent is too damn high is my thing. Jimmy McMillan is my name," one song says.
The candidates received enough petition signatures to get themselves on the statewide ballot.
There are third-party candidates in some other statewide races.
Brooklyn-resident Julia Willebrand, 77, representing the Green Party, is running for state comptroller. She said she wants to stop the corporate takeover of the state. Willebrand said that the current government doesn't do enough to help the people of the state.
"If that pension fund were invested to enhance the lives of everyone who is putting money into it, it could still make a handsome return," said Willebrand, a teacher from Manhattan.
The major-party candidates are Democratic Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli of Nassau County and Republican Harry Wilson, a former hedge-fund partner who lives in Scarsdale, Westchester County.
Another comptroller candidate is Libertarian John Gaetani. Gaetani, 51, attended Broome Community College for two years and then graduated from Binghamton University with a degree in accounting. He is a certified internal auditor who lives in Glenville, Schenectady County.
"I am one of them (the average person). I am not a career politician, an Albany insider or a Wall Street insider," said Gaetani, who now lives in the Albany area.
For state attorney general, Ramon Jimenez, 62, is running under the Freedom Party. He's a lawyer from the Bronx and has taught law at local colleges. Carl Person, a Manhattan attorney, is the Libertarian candidate for attorney general. The major-party candidates are Democratic Sen. Eric Schneiderman of Manhattan and Republican Staten Island District Attorney Daniel Donovan.
Here's a look at the third-party candidates for statewide office this year.
Governor
Kristin Davis
Residence: Manhattan
Age: 35
Party: Anti-Prohibition
Education: St. Mary's College, bachelor's in business management
Work Experience: vice president of a New York hedge fund from 2002-2004. Became the madam of a prostitution organization; went to jail for four months for promoting prostitution.
Howie Hawkins
Residence: Syracuse
Age: 57
Party: Green
Education: Attended Dartmouth College
Work Experience: Six years in Marine Corps. Worked in construction field and for UPS. Ran for various political offices.
Jimmy McMillan
Residence: Brooklyn
Age: 64
Party: Rent is Too Damn High
Education: High school in Florida
Work Experience: Ran for mayor of New York City in 2006. Retired letter carrier.
Warren Redlich
Residence: Guilderland, Albany County
Age: 44
Party: Libertarian
Education: Rice University, bachelor's in mathematical economics; Stanford University, master's in political science; Albany Law School
Work Experience: Attorney; member of Guilderland Town Board since 2007, started his own website that provides a database of traffic courts.
Charles Barron
Residence: Brooklyn
Age: 60
Party: Freedom
Education: NY Technical College, associate's degree in science; Hunter College, bachelor's in sociology
Work Experience: Former chairman of the Harlem Branch of the National Black United Front; started Dynamics of Leadership group. Has served on New York City council since 2001.
Comptroller
Julia Willebrand
Residence: Brooklyn
Age: 77
Party: Green
Education: City College, bachelor's in American studies; Columbia University, master's and doctorate in teaching English to speakers of other languages
Work Experience: Taught elementary school for a year, taught teachers in Hungary as an exchange professor.
John Gaetani
Residence: Glenville, Schenectady County
Age: 51
Party: Libertarian
Education: Broome Community College; Binghamton University, bachelor's degree in accounting
Work Experience: auditor at various companies and state agencies.
Attorney General
Ramon Jimenez
Residence: Bronx
Age: 62
Party: Freedom
Education: St. John's University, bachelor's degree in science and education; Harvard Law School
Work Experience: former Village Voice reporter; lawyer and law professor
Carl Person
Residence: Manhattan
Age: 74
Party: Libertarian
Education: Long Island University, associate's degree; Harvard Law School
Work Experience: Lawyer
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