City Council Member Mark Treyger (Coney Island, Bensonhurst, Gravesend) and Assembly Member Pamela Harris (Coney Island, Bay Ridge , Dyker Heights) will run for the male and female Democratic Party leadership in the 46th Assembly District, Kings County Politics has learned.
Harris was unreachable for comment, but Treyger, who also co-chairs of the Brooklyn delegation in the City Counsel, exclusively confirmed to KCP last night that he will seek the unpaid but powerful Party position in a district that includes Coney Island from Sea Gate to a slice of neighboring Brighton Beach, Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights.
“I put my heart and soul into everything I do and I care about community service deeply,” said Treyger, who is in the process of moving into the district – a requirement to run for district leader.
Treyger, who was a social studies teacher for many years at New Utrecht High School and is the first Russian speaking ever in the City Council, said he is proud of bringing people and communities together to meet the common challenges such as quality of life and public safety issues that brings the various neighborhoods in the district together rather than distinguishes the neighborhoods as separate entities.
Specifically, Tryeger said being a district leader would enable him to both better grow the Democratic Party and to better help the neighborhoods in the district on a grassroots level while giving them more political clout.
The move, though, is something of a political bombshell in Southern Brooklyn in many ways starting with both incumbent district leaders Dilia Schack and Mark Davidovich have been in their position for years and have always appeared to get along with both Treyger and Harris.
Schack, who could not be reached in time for this posting, comes from the powerful Shorefront Democratic Club in Coney Island. She was an early and big supporter of Harris to get the Democratic nod in last year’s special election to succeed Alec Brook-Krasny in the assembly.
The nominating process was quite contentious between Democratic factions led by Treyger and his mentor Assemblyman William Colton on one side, and the Bay Ridge Democratic Club, who favored Brook-Krasny’s former chief of staff Kate Cucco for the Democratic Party nod on the other side.
Former City Council Member Vincent Gentile’s chief of staff Justin Brannan is the president of the Bay Ridge Democrats and one of their key members, Chris McCright, is also running for the district leader position.
McCreight, reached last night, said he will remain in the race even with Treyger running.
Treyger’s running for district leader also has implications towards a possible move for his consolidating a base in Bay Ridge, where he is close with Kings County Democratic boss Frank Seddio.
Currently, there is a wild scramble for Gentile’s term-limited seat in 2017 with Brannan considered the frontrunner, amid strong reported rumors that Gentile is looking for a judicial appointment from the de Blasio Administration and may even step down this year setting up a special election.
Davidovich said he has not made up his mind yet if he will seek re-election as district leader, but Treyger paid Davidovich compliments for the work he’s done leading to speculation that he will drop out and support Treyger .
Treyger and Harris are expected to make the official announcement they are running as early as next week.
