Well what do you know, an opponent for Sheldon Silver that survived Shelly’s ballot challenge. It’s about time, every year he ends up getting his opponent thrown off the ballot by challenging their signatures.

Silver’s Opponent

This is the first in what will be a recurring blog series this fall about legislative races that aren’t getting much attention on the statewide screen.

If you’d like to nominate one, don’t hesitate.

In the meantime…

Meet Michael Imperiale, 39, a self-described “poor Democrat,” musician, artist and tenant organizer who lives in the Grand St. Guild Houses on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. He’s never previously held an elected office or even run for one.

Imperiale is running in the 64th AD against state Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, D-Manhattan, on the Republican and Conservative lines this fall.

It’s the first time since 1998 that Silver will face a major party challenger in the general election.

Usually, attorneys for Silver succeed in bumping most opponents off the ballot, according to Marcus Cederqvist, executive director for the New York County GOP.

But not this time. General challenges were filed against one of the two volumes of petitions filed, Cederqvist said, but they were never made specific.

I wish this guy the best of luck and hopefully people will get out and vote Silver out of office. Not only is he the most powerful politician in the state, he is also the most dangerous. A man that promotes suing the state with his lawfirm is a danger to the fiscal stability of the whole region. It is time for him to go!

Thanks to Capitol Confidential and Urban Elephants for this story..