UPDATED with a response from Senator Kevin Parker.
Ed Powell, the Male Democratic District Leader for the 42nd Assembly District, announced today he won’t seek re-election, and will endorse Josue (Josh) Pierre, a distant cousin of 42nd District Assembly Member and female Democratic district leader Rodneyse Bichotte to succeed him.
The district leader position, also known as a state committee person, is an unpaid, volunteer, elected official who serves on the Executive Committee of a County political party for a two-year term. In Kings County registered Democrats are responsible for electing two Democratic State Committee persons, one male and one female, in each New York State Assembly District. There are 21 Assembly Districts in Brooklyn and thus there are 42 Democratic State Committee persons.
“I am stepping down because I have no aspirations to any higher political office and the district leader is a springboard position to moving up to higher office,” said Powell, who’s held the position for four years and is the respected longtime president of the 70th Police Precinct Community. “I want to give younger people a chance and Josh is someone I have a lot of respect and admiration for, and I’m endorsing him. He’s a very intelligent and knowledgable young man and I think he has high ideals.”
Powell said he’s spoken to Kings County Party Democratic Party Boss Frank Seddio about his desire to step down, but hasn’t made any formal announcement about it other than to KCP.
A Founding Member of the Shirley Chisholm Democratic Club, Pierre, 34, grew up in Flatbush/East Flatbush area where he attended local public schools and graduated from Baruch College with a Bachelor’s Degree in accounting.
Since 2006 Josue Pierre has volunteered for a number of political campaigns, and was elected locally in 2010, 2012 and 2014 to both the Democratic County Committee and the Judicial Convention. He has served on Community Board 17 as Land-Use Chair, and was a Budget Delegate in the 45th Council District Participatory Budget program.
Pierre currently works as a financial analyst in City Comptroller Scott Stringer’s office dealing with the re-investment of two percent or about $3 billion of pension funds back into the city’s affordable housing programs.
“I’ve always had an interest in politics, and based on my experiences and interest in politics this is a good fit,” said Pierre. “The district leader position is what you make of it, and besides the traditional role of helping to screen judicial candidates and carrying petitions, I want to help local community members get a better knowledge of how politics works and howe to get actively involved in it.”
Pierre said if and when the opportunity arises, he will look at getting into elected public office. He currently lives in City Council Member Jumaane Williams district, but will most probably wait another four years as Williams has one more term before he is term-limited out of office.
Other possibilities include filling Sen. Kevin Parker‘s senate seat as he is rumored to be looking at possibly moving into the Cuomo Administration, or if the ambitious Bichotte decides to run for higher office, perhaps move into her assembly seat.
Parker responded that he has not spoken to the governor about any position in the administration nor is he considering doing anything other than continuing his hard work as senator and serving his constituents in the district.
But for now, Pierre wants to pay tribute back to Powell.
“There’s a lot of unsung heroes who do work for the community, and not look for the spotlight, and that’s how I view Ed Powell,” said Pierre. “I consider it a high honor to succeed somebody like him as district leader.”
