Statenโค Island lawmakersโค Revive Secession Push โขFollowing Mamdani Victory
STATENโ ISLAND, NY – Staten Island politiciansโฃ are renewing efforts to โexplore โsecession from โฃNew โYork City in the wake ofโค Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral bid, fueledโฃ by long-held frustrations over feeling politically โmarginalized. Assemblyman Michael Moranoโฃ has introduced legislationโ aimingโข for a โขfeasibility study on Staten Island’s โpotential independence, a โฃmove he frames as aโฃ “balanced approach” to address widespread pro-secession sentiment.
Previous attempts at similar legislation, โintroduced by former Republicanโค Council Minority Leader Joe Borelli inโ 2019 adn 2022, stalled inโค committee. Morano, though, believes his bill โคwill differ by avoiding advocacy for outright secession.โ “I represent a communityโ that is very pro-secession in sentiment – I’d say โat least 60% – but personally, I’m concerned โthatโฃ full independence could lead to higherโค taxes andโข higher โฃcostsโ for Staten Islanders,” โคhe stated. “Rather than just โtrading slogansโฆ this billโข isโฃ meant to be a balanced approach โคthat both sides โคshould be able to โขlive with.”
Morano ultimately envisions a referendum allowingโ Staten Island residents to decide their own fate. “Staten Island should be able โto decideโ its ownโค fate,” he said. “It’s the mostโ frustrating โthing in the worldโข for โStaten Islanders to vote forโข elected โขofficialsโฆ and no matter how โweโค vote,we โare dismissed by policymakers byโค the rest of the city.”
State Assemblyman โคSam Pirozzolo (R-Statenโ Island) recentlyโ galvanized the movement โwith a rally on Richmond road, whereโฃ he read aโค “Staten Island โIndependence Declaration.”
Staten Island, with roughly 500,000 residents, is the city’s least populated โborough. However, โฃit is larger than cities like Miami,โฃ Tampa, Oakland, andโค Cleveland and would become the second largest city in โขnew Yorkโ state if self-reliant.
Senator Andrew Lanza believes a victory for upstate Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik โin the 2026 gubernatorial race against incumbentโ Democrat Kathy Hochul could bolster the secession cause, perhaps bringing it to a vote.
A May โ2024 study by the city’s โIndependent Budget โคOffice, โขrequested by Councilman Justin Brannan (D-Brooklyn), cautioned that secession could โฃbe costly for Staten Island.Theโ report concluded that independence would likely result โinโข higherโค expenses for residents,โฃ reducedโ benefits and services, or โboth.
Mamdaniโฃ declined to commentโฃ onโ the renewed secession efforts, andโข a representative forโ Stefanik did not instantly โrespond โto requestsโ forโค comment.
