FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Lauren Mannerberg, lauren@anatgerstein.com, 929 553 7702
Good government group cites Morano’s commitment to opening up our primaries, campaign finance reform, and effective leadership
New York, N.Y. (April 10, 2025) — Citizens Union, New York’s pre-eminent nonpartisan good government organization, today announced its endorsement of Republican Frank Morano in the special election for New York City Council District 51, representing Staten Island’s South Shore communities. The seat was vacated earlier this year by former Council Member Joe Borelli.
“Frank Morano is a thoughtful, independent-minded candidate who has demonstrated a real commitment to strengthening local democracy,” said John Avlon, Board Chair of Citizens Union. “He has long advocated for opening up our primary elections and testified before numerous Charter Revision Commissions to push for reforms. While we don’t agree on every issue, Morano impressed us with his grasp of the issues, willingness to engage on complex questions, and ability to offer credible alternatives to our reform priorities.”
Morano, a longtime radio talk show host and community board member, earned Citizens Union’s endorsement following a strong interview and a demonstrated track record of civic engagement. He supports key reforms, including ranked choice voting and nonpartisan primary elections. While he diverges from Citizens Union on some issues—including consolidating elections to even years and the city’s public matching funds program—he articulates principled positions and offers alternative policy solutions like democracy vouchers to better empower everyday voters.
Citizens Union’s Board of Directors voted to support Morano, noting his serious approach to governance and the strength and professionalism of his campaign in this heavily Republican district. His opponents, Griffin Fossella and Clifford Hagen, declined to meaningfully participate in Citizen Union’s evaluation process—Fossella did not respond to any outreach and has been largely absent from public forums and debates, and Hagen, though initially responsive, failed to submit a completed questionnaire.
“We take our endorsement process seriously and expect candidates to do the same,” Avlon added. “Frank Morano engaged with us in good faith and demonstrated an understanding of both the challenges and opportunities facing Staten Island. We encourage voters in District 51 to support him on election day.”
Citizens Union’s rigorous process evaluates candidates based on their alignment with the organization’s reform agenda, ability to advance reforms once in office, knowledge of their constituents’ needs, and ability to run an effective campaign.
About Citizens Union
For over 125 years, Citizens Union has been a leading non-partisan advocate for reform, accountability, and ethics in New York City and State government. Learn more at www.citizensunion.org.
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