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VOL. 20 NO. 13
Our Time Press March 26 – April 1, 2015 |
3
Central Brooklyn District at risk of GOP Representation
■■
By Mary Alice Miller
ith the implosion of Guillermo
Philpotts’ quest for the Democratic line in the May 5th 43rd
Assembly special election supported by county committee members, you can count on both
hands: the election to replace Karim Camara has
become a free-for-all. In the central Brooklyn
Democratic district covering Crown Heights and
parts of Lefferts Gardens, there is no candidate
on the Democratic line. Instead, Female District
Leader Shirley Patterson is running on the Independence line, CB #9 member Diana Richardson is on Working Families, community activist
Geoffrey Davis is on Love Yourself, and kosher
meat market manager Menachem Raitport is on
both the Republican and Conservative lines.
Low-voter turnout can be expected for
any special election, but a sole special election in May on the new congressional primary day risks especially low turnout.
Voters in that district need to be mindful
that the special election is not a primary. Whoever wins on May 5th will become the new
Assembly representative for the 43rd District.
Three registered Democrats are vying
for the seat. With a low turnout, the Republican/Conservative candidate could take the
seat, making central Brooklyn the national
laughingstock of the Democratic Party.
Why is this important?
Having secured majorities on the federal
level in the House of Representatives and Sen-
If Republicans can take the 43rd – a district
smack dab in the middle of a Democratic stronghold – they will be emboldened to go further.
How could this happen? Let the numbers tell the story.
Last year, current Republican/Conservative Assembly candidate Raitport also ran for
the open state Senate seat vacated by Borough
President Eric Adams. Raitport was able to garner 1,445 votes in the uphill battle against Jesse
Hamilton, who got 32,040 across the district. But
Raitport got half his votes in the 43rd AD section
of the 20th Senatorial District. In a low-turnout
May special election, 763 votes could carry Raitport a long way. With the possibility of a threeway split in Democratic voters, Raitport could
get even more Republican/Conservative support.
Should a candidate step out of the race?
And if so, who?
Let’s face it: Geoffrey Davis has name recognition, if only for being the brother of slain Councilman James Davis and continuing the legacy of
James’ Love Yourself, Stop the Violence initiative.
Normally, Davis’ name recognition would not be
quantifiable; however, in Davis’ quest for Male
District Leader, he did garner 3,545 votes last year
to beat Moses (Musa) Moore’s 2,377. Admittedly,
Moore had not been on the ballot in a decade.
Longtime Female District Leader Shirley
Patterson was able to beat back a challenge
from electoral newcomer Diana Richardson
with 3,321 votes. But Richardson came within
400 votes of beating Patterson (2,917 votes).
Patterson has the backing of Borough Pres-
Shirley Patterson
Independence Party
Geoffrey Davis
Love Yourself
ate, the GOP has intensified its focus on gaining legislative majorities in state after state.
On the federal and state level, Republicans have vowed to repeal the Affordable
Care Act, aka Obamacare. Voting rights are
under attack anywhere the GOP has finagled
an advantage. Reproductive rights – not just
abortion, but birth control, too – are being
curtailed. Environmental protections would
dissipate. Right-to-work (for less) legislation that attacks collective bargaining and
living wages would creep in.
And in a Democratic district that is three
quarters Black, the election of a Republican
would contribute to the diminution of Black
political representation.
ident Eric Adams and State Senators Jesse
Hamilton and Velmanette Montgomery. But
Richardson is supported by the Working Families Party, which made history by getting Letitia
James elected to the City Council solely on their
line. WFP also helped Darlene Mealy first get
elected to the Council. WFP’s next goal is to get
a member of the Assembly elected.
Despite the proxy war, the special election
will turn on who has a better GOTV operation.
Every voter who shows up at the polls on
May 5th will make a difference.
The Brooklyn branch of the NAACP and the
Urban Justice Center are planning to co-sponsor
the 43rd Assembly District candidate forum.
Menachem Raitport
Republican / Conservative
Diana Richardson
Working Families Party
W