A Brooklyn Democratic lawmaker has infuriated celebration activists by backing Republican mayoral nominee Curtis Sliwa — whereas slamming ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s political comeback bid.
Assemblywoman Jamie Williams spoke on the opening of Sliwa’s marketing campaign workplace on Flatbush Avenue on September 14, effusively praising the GOP hopeful as the most effective candidate for her constituents, as she ripped his Democratic opponents.
“I’ve to say, Curtis has stood with our neighborhood from day one for all the pieces the previous governor, Andrew Cuomo, did to us, and likewise Eric Adams,” stated Williams, in a video of the occasion obtained by The Submit.
“So at present, we’re right here to assist the most effective candidate for us…. the individuals’s mayor… who’s going to combat for you,” stated Williams, who has represented the 59th District that features the southern Brooklyn neighborhoods of Canarsie, Flatlands, Georgetown, Bergen Seashore, Mill Basin, Mill Island and Gerritsen Seashore since 2016.
Sliwa joined Williams and different neighborhood leaders in opposing the migrant encampment at Floyd Bennett Subject, different homeless shelters and battery storage services within the extra average conservative one-and-two household home-owner neighborhoods.
He has additionally stood out for opposing congestion pricing and extra dense housing in southern Brooklyn.
Williams praised the work of the Guardian Angels, the red-beret and jacket-clad civic patrol volunteers based by Sliwa.
“We’d like somebody we will belief, not somebody who’s recycled with their unhealthy conduct and their unhealthy actors. However with Curtis now we have somebody who’s going to signify the neighborhood, our individuals and each single New Yorker,” the assemblywoman stated.
In response, Democratic activists beginning a brand new political membership in Canarsie wrote an open letter calling Williams out for her endorsement of Sliwa.
“As somebody elected within the Democratic main and caucuses with the Democratic Celebration in Albany, your choice to overtly assist a Republican candidate raises critical considerations,” wrote Canarsie Democracy Membership co-founder Aissata Diallo.
“It calls into query how this motion serves the constituents who elected you and the way it aligns with the values and obligations you dedicated to when looking for workplace.”
The letter quoted a bit of the New York State Democratic Celebration Rule saying, “All individuals looking for or holding celebration or public workplace underneath the Democratic Celebration label or Democratic Celebration identify, thereby undertake, whereas so serving or looking for to serve, to not oppose publicly the election of any Democratic nominee for the workplace in New York State.”
“Your public endorsement of Mr. Sliwa seems to be in direct violation of this rule, undermining each the Democratic nominee and the broader efforts of the celebration to ship for the communities we signify,” Diallo wrote.
“This not solely creates a critical battle throughout the celebration but additionally raises considerations about your capability to take care of credibility and affect throughout the caucus you depend on to safe assets for our district.”
Williams, in a subsequent Submit interview, claimed her assist for Sliwa was not an official endorsement.
“Curtis confirmed up for me. I supported him again. It’s the respectful factor to do,” she stated.
“On the finish of the day, it’s about doing the proper factor.”
She insisted: “I didn’t endorse anybody.”
Williams describes herself as a “conservative Democrat” and stated backing the novel left-wing Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani for mayor was out of the query.
Cuomo is working on an unbiased line within the November election, as was incumbent mayor Adams, earlier than he suspended his marketing campaign Sunday.
Williams stated she served with Mamdani within the Meeting and praised him as a tough employee — “however I can’t assist a socialist agenda.”
Williams, who additionally receives backing from Republicans and conservatives, famous that state Democratic Celebration Chairman Jay Jacobs didn’t assist the Queens assemblyman, both.
“On the finish of the day it’s concerning the individuals who elected me,” Williams stated.
Brooklyn Democratic Celebration chairwoman Rodneyse Bichotte, who’s backing democratic socialist Mamdani after he defeated Cuomo within the June main, didn’t activate Williams.
Bichotte believed that Williams’ pro-Sliwa speech on the Republican candidate’s occasion was not an endorsement, a spokesperson for the celebration chief stated.
However Sliwa stated it was “completely an endorsement” and vowed to “knock on doorways” to assist Williams subsequent yr if she faces a Democratic Celebration problem.
