Despite some pressure from Borough President Eric Adams‘ office, political gadfly Guillermo Philpotts said he will run for the vacant 43rd Assembly district seat in the upcoming May 5 special election and expects to get the Democratic Party line.
Philpotts, 73, who has run in just about every local primary and general election since 1976, controls the Democratic Party line because unlike any of the other possible candidates, he included nine county committee members on his recent nominating petitions. Under special elections laws, Kings County Democratic Party Chair Frank Seddio is supposed to call a meeting of the assembly district county committee members plus the two district leaders who then decide who runs on the party line.
Thus, while Adams, State Sen. Jesse Hamilton, Seddio and other Central Brooklyn Democratic Party bigwigs want female district leader Shirley Patterson to get the Democratic nod, Philpotts is in the catbird seat.
“I will run. We’re supposed to meet Thursday night at his (Seddio’s Thomas Jefferson) club and I want to meet with him one-on-one,” said Philpotts. “A friend of mine wants me to support Shirley, but my many supporters told me I ran all this time and they (the Democratic Party) never supported me so why should I not run again? A key person in my committee says why quit now. Some of these people go back 40 years with me and at this age I need more friends than enemies.”
Philpotts said while Patterson never reached out to him, Adams right hand political operative, Ingrid Lewis-Martin, the highest paid employee on the borough president’s payroll, has called and asked for him to support Patterson. Additionally, the male district leader, Geoffrey Davis, who is planning to run on his own Stop The Violence Party line met with Philpotts to inquire about his intentions.
But Philpotts said he won’t be swayed.
“I am an honorable man and not a thief. I don’t make deals and I don’t double cross anybody. I run and I lose. And I don’t run against anybody. I run for the office because I like helping people. Those in power don’t like to help me, but I still got five percent of the vote (in the recent 20th Senate District election).”
