Bay Ridge

McCreight announces run for district leader post

February 16, 2016 By Paula Katinas Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Chris McCreight is one of the founders of the Bay Ridge Democrats. Photo courtesy of Chris McCreight
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Many voters don’t know that when they go into the polls on Election Day, chances are that political party district leaders had a hand in picking the local candidates they are voting for.

The unsung heroes of the political establishment, district leaders are grass-roots party heads who help select candidates for office, collect petition signatures to get candidates on the ballot and knock on doors to urge residents to vote for them.

In other words, district leaders do all of the nitty-gritty, unglamorous work to get politicians elected.

Bay Ridge resident Chris McCreight wants to join their ranks.

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McCreight, one of the founders of the Bay Ridge Democrats political club, announced that he is running for Democratic district leader in the 46th Assembly District (Bay Ridge-Dyker Heights-Coney Island).

McCreight will be running in the Democratic primary on Sept. 13, trying to unseat the current district leader, Mark Davidovich. It marks the first time there has been a primary for male district leader in the 46th Assembly District since 2002. 

McCreight made his big announcement at a meeting of the Bay Ridge Democrats on Feb. 11.

“I am running for district leader to build a stronger Democratic Party for everybody, no matter age, gender, race, sexual orientation, religion or income,” McCreight told his fellow club members. “As district leader, I will not only bring an independent voice to the Kings County Executive Committee, but I’ll work tirelessly to help elect Democrats whose first priority is lifting up our neighborhoods.”

District leaders are also known as state committeepersons. They serve on the executive committee of a county political party for a two-year term.

In Brooklyn, registered Democrats elect two Democratic State Committee persons, one male and one female, in each of the New York State Assembly districts. There are 21 Assembly Districts in Brooklyn.

McCreight, a political strategist, has worked behind the scenes at many campaigns. In 2013, he managed Democrat Sal Albanese’s mayoral campaign. That same year, he served as campaign manager for Councilmember Vincent Gentile’s (D-Bay Ridge-Dyker Heights-Bensonhurst) successful re-election bid.

In his announcement speech, McCreight sought to send a message across the aisle to Republicans, who maintain a foothold in Bay Ridge, despite the fact that Brooklyn is overwhelmingly Democratic in terms of voter registration.

“In this part of Brooklyn, we’re represented by a Republican in both Congress and the New York State Senate. Their priorities don’t represent the Brooklyn we remember or the one we live in today, and it’s not acceptable,” he said.

U.S. Rep. Dan Donovan (R-C-Southwest Brooklyn-Staten Island) and state Sen. Marty Golden (R-C-Bay Ridge-Southwest Brooklyn) represent the Bay Ridge-Dyker Heights area.

“I am running for district leader because we need a Democratic Party that promotes Democratic values. We need a party that fights to raise the minimum wage to $15, protects women’s rights, stands up for students and teachers and isn’t bullied by greedy developers,” McCreight said.

McCreight called on his fellow Democrats to root out corruption. “One of the reasons I co-founded the Bay Ridge Democrats was to help elect, not just Democrats, but good Democrats,” he said.

McCreight said that over the next several months, he intends to bring his message to “my neighbors from Bay Ridge, where I live, to Coney Island, where I work.”

 

 


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