Two GOP candidates emerge in 46th Assembly District

March 19, 2014 By Paula Katinas Brooklyn Daily Eagle

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Two contenders have come forward in the Republican Party to take on Democratic incumbent Assemblyman Alec Brook-Krasny in Brooklyn’s 46th Assembly District in this year’s election, but they have to face each other first.

This week, Stamatis Lilikakis, a business man who was born and raised in Bay Ridge, declared his candidacy.

“Over the past two years, the communities of the 46th Assembly district have been hit by tremendous challenges, from Superstorm Sandy, to stubbornly high unemployment, and cuts to vital local services. Our neighborhoods need leadership that can produce solutions,” he said.

Lilikakis will have to face Marcus Aurelius Nussbaum, a lawyer and army veteran, in a Republican Party Primary for the right to run against Brook-Krasny in November.

And behind the scenes, Brooklyn GOP Chairman Craig Eaton and his political enemy, state Sen. Marty Golden are fighting it out. Politicker reported that Eaton is said to be supporting Nussbaum, while Golden (R-C-Bay Ridge-Southeast Brooklyn) is rumored to supporting Lilikikas. There is bad blood between Eaton and Golden, according to Republican Party members. Last year, the state senator tried and failed to get Eaton booted from the chairman’s chair.

Lilikakis, who owns a company that imports outerwear, is a graduate of PS 185, Dyker Heights Intermediate School, and Fort Hamilton High School.

The Bensonhurst Bean reported that Nussbaum, the Republican district leader in the 46th A.D., announced his intention to run last week. He is running with the backing of the Fiorello LaGuardia Republican Club.

“I am a public servant at heart. This is the reason why I decided to join the military and proudly serve my country. I believe that it is my duty to use my abilities to help those who cannot help themselves, and it is my goal to make tangible improvements in the quality of life for the members of our community,” The Bensonhurst Bean quoted Nussbaum as saying.

Lilikikas said he plans to focus on helping small businesses, senior citizens, and children. “Increasingly our local small businesses are buckling under the weight of runaway government regulations, while middle class families are working harder just to make ends meet, seniors struggle to do more with less, and our children suffer from rising education costs and fewer school programs,” he said.

The 46th A.D. runs from Coney Island to Bay Ridge and includes parts of Dyker Heights, Bath Beach, and Brighton Beach.

Most political observers believe that defeating Brook-Krasny, one of the most popular and well-liked politicians in Brooklyn, will be an uphill battle.

Brook-Krasny, who was first elected in 2006, is first Soviet-born Russian language speaker to become a New York State Assembly member.