Carole King sings Recchia’s praises

September 29, 2014 By Paula Katinas Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Music superstar Carole King is helping congressional candidate Domenic Recchia raise money for his campaign.

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Domenic Recchia is injecting some star power into his congressional campaign. The Democrat, who is trying to unseat Republican-Conservative U.S. Rep. Michael Grimm, is getting a hand from music legend Carole King.

King, whose 1971 album “Tapestry” is one of the best-selling albums of all time and whose life story is the basis for the hit Broadway show “Beautiful: The Carol King Musical,” sent out a fundraising email to Democratic Party members on Recchia’s behalf over the weekend.

In the email, King, who has often campaigned for and raised money for Democratic candidates across the country, asked Democrats to give money and volunteer to work on Recchia’s campaign.

“I’m writing today because I believe with all my heart that you, your family, and your neighbors deserve an advocate in Washington who will strengthen those bonds and deepen that sense of community,” King wrote.

The email plays largely to the Staten Island end of the Brooklyn-Staten Island congressional district, where a majority of the voters live. The 11th Congressional District, which Grimm has represented since winning the seat in 2010, takes in the entire borough of Staten Island and includes parts of Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Bensonhurst and Gravesend in southwest Brooklyn.

Staten Island takes up nearly three-quarters of the congressional district.

“Most people know me as a Brooklyn girl, but I often took the ferry to Staten Island with my mom and dad in the ’50s and ’60s, before the Verrazano Bridge was built. I have many happy memories of playing on the swings in a playground on Staten Island with my little brother, watching the bigger kids play handball and wolfing down hot dogs or pizza for lunch. Over the years, I came to understand what a strong, tight-knit community Staten Island is, a place where neighbors are often family,” King wrote in her email.

“You can count on Domenic to get things done on your behalf. But he’s running a very close race this fall. This is a pivotal moment in his campaign. The nation’s eyes are on Domenic Recchia to see if he has what it takes to win. Well, I know Domenic, and I believe he has what it takes. But I also know that he’s depending on you to help him by volunteering, contributing, and voting for him on Nov. 4,” King wrote.

A poll conducted by NY1/Capital New York/Siena College found that Grimm had 44 percent of the voters and was narrowly ahead of Recchia, who has 40 percent.

The Hill, a newspaper that covers Capitol Hill, published a column by Jessica Taylor last week indicating that the poll results indicate that Recchia has his work cut out for him if he wants to defeat Grimm on Election Day. The Hill column pointed out that Recchia’s status as a Brooklyn resident could hold him back if Staten Islanders decide to go for the hometown boy Grimm, who lives in that borough, on Nov. 4. “His problem is that he comes from Brooklyn, which makes up just over a quarter of a district dominated by Staten Island, a borough with a distinctly different self image than the hipster mecca,” Taylor wrote, referring to Recchia.

Grimm is hanging on to a slim lead over Recchia, despite the fact that he was indicted on federal charges in April and is set to face trial in December.

Grimm has been charged with mail fraud and other crimes stemming from his ownership in a Manhattan health food restaurant prior to his election top congress. He allegedly paid his workers off the books to avoid paying higher taxes.