With Crown Heights Assemblymember Karim Camara stepping down from chairing the New York State Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus as his assembly tenure winds down, Geoffrey Davis, the front-runner in the race to succeed him, was at the Association of Black and Puerto Rican Legislators’ annual event this weekend pressing the flesh.
Camara is expected to officially resign this month to head Governor Cuomo’ s new Office of Faith-Based Community Development Services. Davis, the brother of slain City Councilmember James Davis, is the 43rd Assembly Democratic Male District leader.
“Everybody congratulated me on winning the district leadership race and encouraged me to run to replace Karim, and I told them all thank you and that I’m running,” said Davis, who attended parties thrown by DC 37 Local 372 and East Flatbush Assemblyman Nick Perry at the caucus.
Davis said as far as he knew there are four other candidates in the race including former Comptroller Scott Stringer worker Carmen Martinez, Female District Leader Shirley Patterson, Diana Richardson, who lost the district leadership race to Patterson, and Moses (Musa) Moore.
The five could conceivable face off in an open September primary if Cuomo doesn’t call a special election.
“The more people that run the better,” said Davis. “It’s good for democracy and give the residents of the 43rd Assembly District more of a choice.”
Cuomo could call a special election to fill the seat before the primary in which case Kings County Democratic Party leaders led by Chair Frank Seddio would pick one candidate. However, last year when there were several open assembly and senate seats open he waited until the next regular election day cycle to hold the election – leaving nearly a million people without representation.
