Flatbush Candidate Forum

230 showed up at a Flatbush church last Saturday morn

As the Q mentioned here recently, it's pretty rare that a state senate or assembly seat becomes vacant. Some pols hold their posts for decades. Like Rhoda Jacobs, the longtime Assemblywoman from Flatbush (and environs). She's retiring, and it's brought out a cavalcade of candidates for the gig. As an added bonus, Eric Adams' longheld State Senate seat is up for grabs in the 20th, since he's moved up/sideways to the BP position.

On top of that, a lot of us ALREADY got a new State Senator, when they redrew the district lines. I used to have Adams, but now I've got Kevin Parker, and frankly I'm cool with that. While he's running uncontested in the Democratic Primary (which in a Democratic borough is all you need to win), he sat at stage left and intervened occasionally with a breezy gravitas and wisdom, gently correcting candidates who showed their lack of experience and knowledge of the current state bodies . He's the real deal, a smart, liberal pragmatist with horse sense. He'll have my vote, even if it doesn't really matter.

Unlike our current City Councilman, Parker is active and literate and politically astute, particularly in legislative matters, where it really counts. He's sponsored or co-sponsored more bills than anyone in his chamber, and is constantly looking for
coalitions and consensus. Yes, he's hot tempered, and it's gotten him in hot water. He almost lost his seat for attaching a NY Post photographer, and has been known to erupt with, um, language unbecoming of a gentleman at times. But as a Senator, he's been remarkably effective, and his colleagues respect (fear?) him. I met with the man in his office a few weeks back, and I was enormously impressed by his breadth of knowledge and passion for the job. He's the big dude, stage left, dressed down in all white. A sign of the summer humidity, or lack of challenger?

And now that I've said that, I'll leave it to the ever reliable Ditmas Park Corner to share the substance of the forum - click here for the straight dope and much higher quality photos. Kudos to Anna Gustafson for the excellent reportage.

So who are your choices? Anna lays it out:

Challengers making a bid for Jacobs’ 42nd Assembly District, which covers Midwood, Ditmas Park, and Flatbush, include community activist Michele Adolphe, who ran against Jacobs in 2010; Democratic District Leader Rodneyse Bichotte, who challenged Jacobs in 2012; Community Board 17 member Victor A. Jordan; Mark Lieberman, a civic activist and journalist from Midwood Park; and Rickie Tulloch, the deputy chief financial officer of Harlem Hospital Center and chairman of Jacobs’ Community Advisory Council.

Those running for the 20th Senate District, which covers such neighborhoods as Prospect Lefferts Gardens, Crown Heights, Sunset Park, Park Slope, Brownsville, Prospect Heights, and Gowanus, include community advocate and educator Rubain Dorancy, Democratic District Leader and lawyer for the city Department of Finance Jesse Hamilton, and Community Board 9 member and former PTA member Demetrius Lawrence. Lawrence was not at the forum.

I know Demetrius Lawrence and Jesse Hamilton pretty well. I think Demetrius must be bowing out, since he didn't show. Rubain or Jesse? I guess I'll have to look more closely, but both seem experienced and versed in the needs of the district. I give Jesse the edge since Eric Adams is throwing his weight behind him.

As for the Assembly candidates, it seemed to the Q like slim pickins. I guess most winners end up growing into the job, so maybe it doesn't matter. But none of them impressed me much. Mark Lieberman had some barbs and bite to him, and as the only white guy I suppose you could say he stuck out. Actually, there were very few white folks in the room at all, which given the influx, seemed odd at first. But then, after listening to the questions from folks involved in politics enough to turn out, it started to become clear to me that these are the people who have lived here a long time, and they care deeply about the issues and have been the backbone of the neighborhood for decades. The gentry, the caretakers, the concerned citizens, and to a one, alarmed at how many of their friends and family are being threatened with eviction, or unable to find new affordable places, and looking for politicians to champion solutions. It's definitely not business as usual these days, though on the political front, it kinda is. Business as usual. A flim for your flam, ma'am?