Padavan Takes Senate Question To Facebook

Do you “like” former state Sen. Frank Padavan? In the Facebook sense?

Padavan is asking his 1,018 Facebook friends whether he should mount another bid for the state Senate, posting a poll on his wall earlier today that asks that very question.

We reported last week that the veteran former legislator was mulling a comeback campaign against Tony Avella, the Democrat who ousted him in 2010. Since then, though, the Senate’s draft district lines have been publicized, potentially complicating the situation.

As the Senate Republicans have drawn the lines, Avella’s district would contain less white residents than it did in 2002, and more Asian and Hispanic residents. Arguably, these conditions could be worse for a Republican candidate, or even a white candidate.

Avella’s situation is no better. Republicans have drawn him into the district of his neighboring colleague, Toby Ann Stavisky, pitting them in a potential primary against each other.

Padavan lost to Avella by six points in 2010, despite hanging on for years in a Democratic-leaning district. Padavan was also briefly hospitalized almost a year ago, following the election, after having a stroke.

As of this posting, Padavan’s Facebook query has garnered 19 “yes” votes and three “no”. Padavan himself voted “no,” but then changed it to a “yes”.