Complete Brooklyn primary results: Vindication for Simon; Hamilton over Dorancy; Barron is back

De Blasio endorsements don't all go as planned

September 10, 2014 By Mary Frost Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Jo Anne Simon wins the 52nd AD primary in Brooklyn. Photo by Mary Frost

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In Brooklyn, voters in Tuesday’s primary voted for governor, lieutenant governor, and in many districts Assemblymember or state Senator.

Zephyr Teachout, a political unknown just a month or two ago, outperformed expectations to garner 35 percent of the vote in Tuesday’s primary against Gov. Andrew Cuomo. In Brooklyn, she received roughly 30 percent of the vote.

While Cuomo received almost 62 percent of the vote, Teachout’s strong showing demonstrated voter unhappiness with the governor’s performance on issues like school funding and hydrofracking, and disappointment in his Moreland Commission scandal.

Teachout’s running mate Tim Wu received just over 40 percent of the vote vs. Cuomo’s running mate Kathy Hochul, who received 60 percent.

Brooklyn primary wrap-up

In Brooklyn, long-time activist Jo Anne Simon dealt a rebuke to Mayor Bill de Blasio in a hard-fought race for Assemblywoman Joan Millman’s seat in the 52nd Assembly District (Cobble Hill, Brooklyn Heights, Park Slope).

Simon defeated Pete Sikora, an organizer for the Communication Workers of America, who had been endorsed by both de Blasio and the Working Families Party (WFP).

The final count was 52.9 percent for Simon vs. 39.9 percent for Sikora. Dark horse Doug Biviano earned 7.3 percent of the vote.

The win was a vindication for Simon, who served as Democratic District Leader and State Committeewoman, with years of experience on local issues like Atlantic Yards, Long Island College Hospital (LICH) and the Gowanus Expressway.

De Blasio’s endorsement of Sikora received the cold shoulder by some in the district, who felt the Mayor hadn’t worked hard enough after his election to prevent LICH from being sold to a developer.

Things didn’t go de Blasio’s way in the 20th state Senate District either, where Jesse Hamilton pulled far ahead of his opponent Rubain Dorancy for the seat vacated last year by Brooklyn Borough President Adams. At press time, Hamilton was ahead with 65 percent of the vote, while Dorancy scored 30 percent.

BP Adams and Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito had bucked de Blasio to back Hamilton.

Just after midnight, Hamilton said, “I’m humbled and honored by the trust voters have placed in me tonight, and I’ll spend every day in Albany working to live up to it. Tonight’s results clearly show that voters in this district demand a proven progressive who will continue Borough President Eric Adams’ long legacy of delivering for our neighborhoods—and I’m proud to answer the call.” Hamilton added he had “big shoes to fill.”

De Blasio’s endorsement failed to tip the scales in state Senate District 19 (Canarsie, Brownsville, Mill Basin, East New York), where he stumped for Dell Smitherman in his challenge to Sen. John Sampson. Smitherman, the former Political Coordinator of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, had received only 30 percent of the vote by midnight, with 76 percent of the precincts counted. Sampson, despite being indicted, had received roughly 56 percent of the vote. Cuomo had also endorsed Smitherman.

In a statement issued late Tuesday, Smitherman said, “While there’s no hiding my disappointment with tonight’s results, I’m extremely proud of the race we’ve run and the work done by this campaign’s volunteers and supporters to build a foundation for change in this community. Fighting against entrenched power is never easy, and victory is never guaranteed, but the issues we’ve raised in this campaign — whether it’s a lack of affordable housing, the need for a $15 minimum wage, or the importance of honest, ethical representation in government — will continue to drive me in what I do next.”

The WFP struck out in the 55th Assembly District, where they backed Lori A Boozer over Latrice Monique Walker for ex-Assemblymember William Boyland’s seat in Brownsville. (Boyland was convicted of bribery and extortion in March.)

At press time, Walker was ahead 40 percent to Boozer’s 23 percent. Walker had been backed by Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, Assemblymembers Annette Robinson and Nick Perry, Councilmembers Robert Cornegy and others.

Experienced pol Charles Barron is on his way to retaking the family seat in the 60th Assembly District (East New York), with 64 percent of the vote vs. Chris Banks, who gathered 36 percent. Barron, a former City Councilmember, ran for the seat his wife, Inez Barron currently holds. (Inez took over the seat from her husband after beating Banks five years ago.)

Other Brooklyn races

De Blasio and the WFP successfully backed former investment banker Rodneyse Bichotte in Brooklyn’s 42nd Assembly District (Flatbush) in a race against L. Rickie Tulloch. At midnight, Bichotte was ahead with 51 percent to Tulloch’s 30 percent. Michele Adolphe made a dent with almost 15 percent.

In the 45th Assembly District (Sheepshead Bay, Coney Island), Steven Cymbrowitz was well ahead with 57 percent of the vote, beating out Ben Akselrod.

In Brooklyn’s Republican 46th Assembly District (Bay Ridge, Coney Island), Stamatis Lilikakis took the race with 58 percent. His opponent Lucretia Regina-Potter received roughly 42 percent.

In the 51st Assembly District (Red Hook, Sunset Park), Felix Ortiz dominated with 71 percent of the vote. His opponent, Ceasar Zuniga, received roughly 29 percent.

In the 54th Assembly District (Bushwick, Bedford-Stuyvesant, East New York), Erik Dilan, an ally of tarnished pol Vito Lopez, gather 60 percent of the vote, rolling over Rev. Kimberly Council’s 40 percent.

In the 18th state Senate District (Bushwick, Williamsburg, Greenpoint, East New York) Martin Malave Dilan won with 57 percent of the vote. His opponent Debbie Medina won roughly 43 percent.

Check back for more Brooklyn primary news.