Voters in Manhattan's 67th assembly district probably don't realize it yet, but they are going to the polls on Feb. 28th for a special election. They would be well advised to vote for Emily Csendes. Her opponent will be a hand-picked puppet of our assembly overlord. Emily however is capable of independent thought. She's also intelligent and energetic. Currently, she is a public school teacher, with a professional background in finance.
That's all good, but she's also a jazz supporter, having attended one of my SCPS classes in Washington Square Park. This is actually an important district from a jazz perspective, taking in Lincoln Center proper (though not J@LC), Juliard, the Jazz Foundation office, Local 802, the Natural History Museum (which has a summer jazz concert series), the Iridium (just barely), and the Tower Records flagship store. It would be nice to have someone representing the district who is familiar with the greats of the music, and I can attest that she is.
Special elections aren't well publicized, so if you live on the westside, mark your calendars. To review the district lines and learn more about Emily, check out her website: http://www.electemily.com/