As Bensonhurst Assemblyman Bill Colton interviewed last night with the Staten Island Democratic Committee and its county leader, John Gulino, to run for the vacant 11th Congressional seat, seven of the 10 Brooklyn Democratic District leaders in the congressional district threw their support behind him.
The district leaders supporting Colton include both Ari Kagan and Margarita Kagan in the 45th Assembly District; both Nancy Tong and Charles Ragusa in the 47th Assembly District; both Dilia Schack and Mark Davidovich in the (46th Assembly District: and Kevin Peter Carroll in the 64th Assembly District.
“It is my pleasure and honor to endorse Assemblyman Bill Colton for the U.S. Congress. He brings together Russian, Asian, Italian, Latino and many other communities into coalition to fight for better quality of life, educational and job opportunities, clean environment and safe streets. He works very hard and always listens to his constituents – not just before elections, but all the time,” said Margarita Kagan.
Carroll noted Colton has spent nearly two decades continuously fighting for the people of Southern Brooklyn including extensive work on lowering taxes for working men and women, closing the illegal incinerator in Gravesend Bay, fighting to make sure a harmful waste transfer station is not placed on the site of the former incinerator, and organizing grassroots community clean-ups.
“These issues show all of us the type of congressman he will be. I trust him to work on the important national issues the same way he has done with our local issues, but most importantly I know he will fight to make sure New York gets its fair share from the federal government,” said Carroll.
Colton also has the support of of City Comptroller Scott Stringer, City Council Member Mark Treyger, State Assembly Member Felix Ortiz and former State Senator Seymour Lachman, who had represented parts of Brooklyn and Staten Island.
The 11th Congressional district comprises southern Brooklyn and Staten Island. This seat was vacated by former Representative Michael Grimm on January 5, following his felony conviction on tax fraud.
One political source said while Colton would make a great candidate, winning against GOP candidate current Staten Island District Attorney Danny Donovan, will be an uphill climb. That’s because Staten Island, which is most of the district, is unlikely to vote for a Brooklyn Democrat and the Democratic National Committee is unlikely to put the kind of money they put behind the flawed candidacy of Domenic Recchia when he lost to Grimm in November.
The DNC was already burnt once in this district and they’re likely to concede the seat to a Republican,” said the source.
On the plus side, Colton knows the local issues, has the legislative experience that Donovan lacks and is an excellent debater, said the source.
Governor Cuomo has not yet set the date for the Special Election for this seat.
