The Kings County Democratic Party committee of local district leaders and committee members yesterday selected freshman Assemblywoman Roxanne Persaud to run for the 19th Senatorial district seat in the Nov. 3 special election.
While the vote was unanimous there were about 10 abstentions that came from Assemblyman and Democratic District Leader Charles Barron and his allies.
Barron complained before the vote that the system for picking Persaud was unfair, and also alleged that Democratic Party chair Frank Seddio and the law chair Frank Carone planted a story in the New York Post about Haitian American Caucus Executive Director Sam Pierre, who tried to challenge Persaud.
The story uncovered that Pierre had a misdemeanor breach of public trust conviction on his record making him ineligible to run for any office for five years. It effectively stopped the Working Families Party from endorsing Pierre just a week after the WFP Brooklyn Chapter recommended he receive the endorsement.
But Seddio flatly denied the accusation.”Neither I nor Frank Carone had anything to do whatsoever with that article put in the New York Post,” said Seddio. “I have a high regard for Sam. I love him like a son, but even sons can sometimes be errant.”
Seddio said Pierre was once a member of his Thomas Jefferson Democratic Club, but left it a few years ago, and recalled the bible story of the prodigal son, who when he returned to his family, was embraced even higher from his father than his own brother that stayed in the fold.
“The difference is I wouldn’t do that,” said Seddio. “I would give my first regard to those that remained with the (TJ) club and worked hard with the club and remain strong. They would be the first people I would recognize.”
Persaud said she told Baron and everyone else after the vote that she would work for equally hard for every community she represented from Baron’s Brownsville and East New York to Mill Basin. Issues like safe neighborhoods, quality education and truly affordable housing are the primary concerns in all the neighborhoods, she said.
Persaud also wished the best for Pierre.
“I’m don’t take cheer over someone falling down,” she said. “Sam Pierre has an issue to take care of as a young man. He will take care of it and I wish him all the best.”
