Via email from Dan Squadron, an interesting follow-up to our piece this morning on real estate switching sides.

Connor Stays in Bed With Real Estate
As Democrats on Verge of Taking Over the State Senate

Squadron Maintains "Clean Money Pledge" So
He Can Stand Up to Special Interests

Today, Daniel Squadron, candidate for State Senate in the 25th Senatorial District, admonished incumbent Martin Connor for continuing to accept campaign contributions from Real Estate interests, at a time when the industry is reportedly attempting to curry favor with Senate Democrats in preparation for blocking pro-tenant measures.

Since 1999 Connor has taken nearly $30,000 in contributions from real estate interests, including over $4,000 from the anti-tenant Rent Stabilization Associations. In this election cycle so far, Connor has reported receiving a total of $7,800 from real estate, including contributions from the Real Estate Board of New York and Muss Development.

"It's clear the real estate industry is terrified at the possibility of pro-tenant reforms such as repealing vacancy control. I'm going to have the freedom to throw down the gauntlet on this issue in a way my opponent failed to do as part of the deal that gave us the current system," said Squadron. "While he continues to accept contributions from compromising corporations, PACs and lobbyists, I will stick by my Clean Money Pledge – because I believe my constituents deserve to be 100% confident that I am always fighting for them."

Daniel Squadron is running in the Democratic Primary to represent the 25th State Senate District. He was a co-author, with Senator Charles Schumer, of the book Positively American: Winning Back the Middle-Class Majority One Family at a Time. He has also worked for the public schools and was Communications Director on the campaign to pass the Transportation Bond Act.

Of course, now that Connor has somehow, miraculously, managed to turn the tables and run as the outsider against the big-money favorite, factoids like this - Squadron takes no special-interest PAC money, Connor does - may not be enough. It's really funny how positioning works sometimes, I'll say that much.