Staten Island, NY — April 10, 2025
Republican Frank Morano has picked up a key endorsement in the race to represent Staten Island’s South Shore on the New York City Council. Citizens Union, the city’s leading nonpartisan good government group, announced its support for Morano in the upcoming special election to fill the District 51 seat left vacant by Joe Borelli.
Citing his long-standing advocacy for electoral reform and civic engagement, Citizens Union praised Morano as a “thoughtful, independent-minded candidate” with a strong grasp of policy and a willingness to engage seriously on complex issues.
“Frank Morano has demonstrated a real commitment to strengthening local democracy,” said John Avlon, chair of Citizens Union’s Board of Directors. “He has advocated for opening up our primaries, testified before numerous Charter Revision Commissions, and put forward credible alternatives to our reform priorities. While we don’t see eye-to-eye on everything, he impressed us with his knowledge, his principles, and his readiness to lead.”
Morano, a veteran radio host and longtime community board member, stood out in the endorsement process thanks to both his policy positions and his track record of public service. He supports reforms like ranked choice voting and nonpartisan primaries and has proposed creative alternatives—such as democracy vouchers—to further empower everyday voters.
Though he differs from Citizens Union on certain matters, including election consolidation and aspects of the city’s campaign finance system, the organization credited him for offering serious, well-reasoned alternatives.
His opponents in the race, Griffin Fossella and Clifford Hagen, did not participate meaningfully in the evaluation process. According to Citizens Union, Fossella did not respond to outreach or attend public forums, while Hagen failed to submit a completed candidate questionnaire.
“We take our endorsement process seriously and expect candidates to do the same,” Avlon said. “Frank Morano showed up, engaged in good faith, and demonstrated a real understanding of the district’s needs. He’s earned our support.”
Citizens Union’s endorsements are based on a thorough review process that evaluates candidates on their alignment with key reform issues, ability to govern effectively, knowledge of constituent concerns, and the strength of their campaign operations.
Founded over 125 years ago, Citizens Union remains one of New York’s most respected voices for transparency, ethics, and electoral reform in city and state government.
