Seeking to invigorate Brooklyn’s fractured GOP, Glenn Nocera announced yesterday that he is seriously considering taking on Kings County Republican Chair Craig Eaton for the party’s reins at next month’s reorganizational meeting.
Nocera, a lifelong Kensington resident, chairs the Brooklyn Young Republican Club, is its’ former president, and is the Republican District Leader for the 44th Assembly district. He ran unsuccessfully against Dov Hikind for the assembly seat in 1998, and against Kevin Parker for the state senate in 2008.
“I believe there needs to be a new direction for the Republican Party in Brooklyn. Craig has been there since 2007 and he did the best he could with his team, but I believe his team has failed especially in the last couple of years. He has not fielded a full slate of candidates for the city council, assembly and senate seats, and he doesn’t have a full slate of district leaders,” said Nocera.
Nocera’s announcement comes as Eaton and forces loyal to him remain in a feud with State Senator Marty Golden – the only GOP elected representative – and forces loyal to him.
Eaton’s team say that Golden is an egomaniac and the party should not revolve around one man. Golden’s team alleges that Eaton is only chair to increase business at his law practice.
Nocera is generally on the Golden team, but says he gets along well with several members of the Eaton team with the exception of Behind Enemy Lines radio talk show hosts Gene Beraredelli and Russell Gallo, who he calls divisive in their constant attack of his BrooklynYR Club and other GOP members they don’t agree with.
“We’re outnumbered 9-1 by Democrats. It’s like we’re at the Alamo and instead of working together we’re fighting over Davy Crockett’s raccoon skin hat,” said Nocera.
Nocera said if elected chair his goals will be to run a full slate of candidates for all elected office and district leadership seats. Additionally, he wants to continue the BrooklynYR’s work in doing outreach to bring more minorities into the fold including blacks, Hispanics and new immigrants to form a broad coalition of ideas around core conservative values.
The current BrooklynYR President, Brandon Washington, is a black man from Canarsie, and several members of the club are supporting Harlem Minister Michel Faulkner’s Republican run for mayor in 2017.
But Nocera, who is a a member of the Brooklyn College campus police, and who graduated from the school with a BA in political science, said it is not political ambition that calls him to seek the chair, but rather to help breathe some life into the party.
“I don’t need a title. I’m here to make sure the party grows and has a pulse again. If someone else can do that, I wouldn’t mind stepping down and let’s build it together,” said Nocera.
“I know this, though. It cannot continue on the same course it has since 2007. Craig tried the best he can do, but I think his team has failed.”
