Brooklyn Boro

Tuesday is primary election day, and several Brooklyn races are red-hot

September 11, 2017 By Mary Frost Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Brooklyn voters should be especially interested in Tuesday’s primary election, as several races directly affect issues important to residents here, such as affordable housing, development along the Brooklyn waterfront and the Brooklyn judicial system. Photo by Mary Frost
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Brooklyn voters should be especially interested in hustling out to the polls for Tuesday’s primary election, as several races directly affect issues important to residents here, such as affordable housing, development and the Brooklyn judicial system.

In addition to the race for mayor and Brooklyn district attorney, city councilmembers are vying for their positions, with several seats being vacated by term-limited officials. An especially heated race is shaping up for judgeships as well, with a reform group causing agita for Brooklyn’s Democratic establishment.

District 35 Fight Centers on Bedford-Union Armory

The fight over the future of the Bedford-Union Armory is at the center of the hotly contested District 35 (Crown Heights, Fort Greene, Prospect Heights, Clinton Hill) City Council race. Incumbent Laurie Cumbo is defending herself against Democratic challenger Ede Fox, who has accused Cumbo of waiting too long before publicly coming out against the proposal, backed by Mayor Bill de Blasio, which would allow roughly 50 percent luxury housing on the city-owned site.

Opponents say the Armory development, as it stands, will accelerate gentrification in the low-income neighborhood, driving locals out. They’re pushing for 100 percent affordable housing at levels that can be afforded by local residents. Cumbo joined a host of city officials, including Comptroller Scott Stringer, Public Advocate Letitia James, Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, Assemblymember Walter Mosley and Councilmember Jumaane Williams in May to announce her opposition to the project, but opponents of Cumbo say her actions were too little, too late.

Jabari Brisport and Scott Hutchins are also competing in District 35 for a chance to appear in the Green Party slot. (More about all of these candidates may be found here.)

In Bay Ridge, Republican Race Also Important

Local political junkies are keeping their eyes on both the Democratic and Republican primaries in District 43 (Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Bensonhurst), where Vincent Gentile is term-limited out.

On the Democratic side, Justin Brannan, who has received a number of endorsements from unions and from officials (including state Assemblymember Peter Abbate, Public Advocate Letitia James and Gentile — for whom Brannan worked as chief of staff) is running against fellow Democrats Kevin Peter Carroll, Vincent Chirico, Rev. Khader El-Yateem and Nancy Tong.

One wild card is El-Yateem, a Palestinian-American and a first-time candidate for public office, whose campaign has seen enormous grassroots support. He has been endorsed by the New Kings Democrats, the New York State Immigrant Action Fund and the NYC Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), the organization that backed Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign.

Republican candidates in the district are Bob Capano, Liam McCabe, Lucretia Regina-Potter and John Quaglione. Popular state Sen. Marty Golden has officially endorsed Quagliono, his Deputy Chief of Staff, in his run. Quaglione has worked with Golden for 19 years.

Meanwhile, DSA’s endorsement of El-Yateem has annoyed Capano, who called on Democratic candidates to denounce the endorsement. Zelig Stern, chairman of DSA’s New York chapter, had sharp words for Capano in turn, reported Eagle reporter Paula Katinas.

“These comments, in a district that democratic socialist Bernie Sanders won in 2016, show just how out of touch [Donald] Trump’s Republicans are with the residents of South Brooklyn,” Stern said.

Brooklyn DA Race ‘Perhaps Most Important’

The race for District Attorney has been called the biggest race happening in Brooklyn right now and perhaps the most important. Beyond what happens in the Office of the District Attorney, the DA has a large effect on the 2.6 million Brooklynites by determining which cases to prosecute, what kind of bail is set, what charges to seek and they have a lot of discretion in what the sentence is going to be, writes Eagle reporter Rob Abruzzese. (See his article on this race here.)

Six candidates, all Democrats, are vying for the job. Charles J. Hynes held the position of DA in Kings County from 1990 until he lost to Ken Thompson in 2013. Following Thompson’s death last October, Eric Gonzalez has served as acting DA. He is running against Anne Swern, Councilmember Vincent Gentile, Ama Dwimoh, Marc Fliedner and Patricia Gatling.

Brooklyn’s Judicial Race Hotter than Blazes

A group of five independent Democrats is trying to upset the apple cart in Brooklyn’s Democratic establishment by running for civil judgeships without the blessing of the Kings County Democratic Party.

John O’Hara, Isiris Isela Isaac, Sandra Roper, Thomas J Kennedy and Patrick J. Hayes make up this reform slate. Spokesman Gary Tilzer said, “Our slate is designed to give Brooklyn a choice of independent judges.”

He adds that reform clubs “used to be counted on for the last 40 years to provide opposition to the county. They’ve stopped being the opposition.”

A spokesman for the Kings County Democratic Party countered that “the reform clubs are not supporting this slate, apparently, and neither are we because all but one refused to go through the basic screening process we ask of any judicial candidate.” 

Two of the candidates suffered at the hands of Brooklyn’s former District Attorney Charles Hynes years ago. More on this slate of indepenent Democrats here.

An Unexpected Race to Replace Sen. Daniel Squadron

UPDATE: This race will not be decided on Tuesday, but in a special election to be held later this year.

Six candidates are vying to replace state Sen. Daniel Squadron for the 26th state Senate seat, which includes the Brooklyn waterfront around Brooklyn Heights and lower Manhattan. . Squadron made a surprise announcement on Aug. 9 that he was resigning from his state Senate seat effective Aug. 11.

The six candidates are: Brian Kavanagh, David Alan Gerson, Eileen Naples, Paul Newell, Diego Segalini and David Yassky. More on this race here.

Where to Vote

Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. If you need to find out where to go to vote in this primary, you can use the Board of Election’s online tool at http://www.elections.ny.gov/district-map/district-map.html

Also, you can plug your Zip code in at the Voter’s Edge website and find out about everyone on your ballot: http://votersedge.nyccfb.info/en/ny

NYC voting guide here: http://voting.nyc/

 

 

 

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