I recently wrote a column giving up some of the street rumors relative to upcoming races. There have been some changes since then: so let‘s get to work (a la Ed Schultz/lol).
In Brooklyn’s 42nAD Ms. Mary Hobson will not be rerunning to reclaim the female district leader spot she lost last time around to Rodneyse Bichotte -when she was knocked off the ballot. Ms. Hobson is presently the deputy county chair and it appears that she will be chillin there for now. In the same district we now have word that there is a behind the scenes struggle for the male leadership spot. Initially it was said that Booker Ingram wasn’t going to seek re-election to this post -which he has held for the last 16 years. Word on the street said Booker was dealing with some health issues. Then we were told that Ed Powell -a longtime political /community activist in the district- was seeking to replace Booker. Now we are being told that the 42nd AD Political Club will be running Anthony Alexis for the spot.
The last time we sighted Anthony Alexis he was challenging Eric Adams for the 20th senatorial district. It is said that he recently became the chief of staff for a city councilor from Queens (congrats are in order). Anthony will be a formidable candidate here. He has paid lots of dues over time. However, this morning my sources told me that the position isn’t resolved since both Booker and Ed are willing to run.
So while they are sorting that out, Delroy Wright recently moved forward with his run for district leader by holding a team meeting with some heavy hitters (including Wellington Sharpe, James Archibald and Michael Roberts). There is another candidate here from the Haitian-American community. This keeps getting more and more interesting by the minute.
Don’t forget that the backdrop for all this includes the challenge assembly member Rhoda Jacobs is facing from three potential candidates (Bichotte, La Reche and Adolphe: all Haitian-American). Once two or three challengers make the ballot, Rhoda will win in a canter. The best chance for upsetting Ms. Jacobs lie in a one-on-one: and even that is uphill all the way.
Still in the 42nd AD, we are awaiting word on whether or not Natasha Holliday will make another run for the female leadership. Last time around she came within 200 vote of winning. Now, if I wanted to mess with everyone’s head, I can move back into this district and enter this district leader race no? Won’t that be fun? ROFL.
Right now I am just running my mouth. Kevin Parker is getting a free pass from me this time around. He has behaved himself relatively well over these past two years, so I am going to do a positive column on him shortly. I expect him to be re-elected without having to face a primary challenge.
Nick Perry is running around the district crying the friggin blues just because he is facing a challenge from attorney Terry Hinds. This will be Nick’s first primary challenge in a dozen years (once Hinds makes the ballot). Nick has always been a cry-baby. I am glad he would never be my mate in a foxhole during some major war effort. Now he is telling anyone within ear shot that he was grooming Hinds to replace him ; and that he (Nick)isn’t going to seek election next year: what a piece of crap to be saying. If you are not coming back in two years then why not go now.
All these lying-assed incumbents say the same thing when facing a strong challenge: “I will be retiring soon” (then they stay on for another hundred years). Nick has been talking retirement for more than a decade now. He is just full of shit; and I will tell him this to his farce (face) next time I see him. I hope he is prepared to look me in the eye. Nick needs to go now; mediocrity is no virtue.
This sense of entitlement that incumbents like Nick Perry tend to project is nothing short of amazing. I remember when Nick was an insurgent running against Rhoda Jacobs: he was an entirely different person then. After he got elected in 1992 (a new Assembly district was created) all he talked about was “my colleagues in government”. Nick is an elitist wannabee.
In said 58th AD, Perry is supporting Cory Provost against Weyman Carey, in the male district-leader race. His handpicked female leader (Melba Brown) doesn’t want to run with Provost since she works well with the present male leader (Weyman Carey). Nick will have some juggling to do here; but it will be nothing new to this unprincipled politician, who has demonstrated his lack of principles many times over.
In the 55th AD there was a candidates forum last Saturday and nine (count them) challengers showed up against Junior Boyland (who also showed up). This is the thing about overblown egos: they lack reason. The best way to unseat Junior is for one or two challengers only. Some folks in the district love to talk about Darlene Mealy defeating Frank Boyland in a crowded field back in 2005. Well, back then Frank wasn’t the incumbent council member; and Ms. Mealy came into the race with all the unions backing her (plus Al Sharpton too). Unless the unions come together on one consensus candidate, Junior Boyland will win re-election this year. And you can make book on that. Splitting up the anti-Boyland amongst too many challengers will not lead to a victory.
Anthony Herbert has been trying to emerge as the bona-fide Boyland-alternative, but it seems as though he is having a hard time making that case. Tony has paid big dues here but so too have many others in the race. Someone needs to broker out that situation, otherwise the status quo remains.
So far, there is no word on the status of the campaign Chris Banks is supposedly waging against Inez Barron (40th AD). I guess no news is good news. I hear there will be a primary in the 54thAD also. So far nothing is emerging in the 43rd AD.
In the 57th AD, I have a question: what will Hakeem Jeffries do if he loses to Ed Towns (or Charles Barron) on June 26th? Will he turn around and seek re-election to his assembly seat? And if he does; will Ola Alabi challenge him? I don’t think Walter Mosley will challenge in that situation; but Ola has some balls folks. Plus she is ambitious and hard-working. Let’s keep an eye on that situation.
What mainstream media isn’t reporting is the fact that there is a quiet push to get more women into the legislative branch of government. I expect to see some surprises this go around. Lots of voters are fed up with the same old same old.
In Brooklyn, there appear to be no challengers for Eric Adams, Karim Camara, Kevin Parker, John Sampson, Lori Knipel, Helene Weinstein, Lou Fidler, Frank Seddio, Alan Maisel, Jake Gold, Jesse Hamilton, Ms. Patterson, Chris Owens and Darlene Mealy. I heard that Geoffrey Davis wants to jump on Walter Mosley for leadership in the 57th AD; while his ex-girlfriend Rene Collymore is “setting it” against Ola for round two of that catfight. I will eventually update all these races/ districts further.
BTW Junior Boyland will also be challenged for his leadership (55th AD). I hear David Miller (junior) will probably step to the plate: upholding a family tradition of political involvement going back a few generations now. His dad once ran for Congress and was active on the school board. His grandparents were also active in the community.
Stay tuned-in folks.