The Bay Ridge Democrats yesterday signaled they are ready to go head-to-head against City Councilman Mark Treyger in his bid to become male Democratic District Leader of the 46th Assembly District, and further consolidate his growing political clout in Southern Brooklyn.
That after the club announced they unanimously endorsed his opponent Chris McCreight in the district leadership race.
While the endorsement was not unexpected as McCreight is a club member, it came just a day after KCP reported that Treyger is receiving growing support from the Bay Ridge side of the district, which also includes Coney Island and parts of Dyker Heights and Brighton Beach.
McCreight, although not having Treyger’s name recognition, has considerable local political capital dating back to co-founding Brooklyn for Barack in 2007 when President Obama was a new candidate for the nation’s top job. He has also worked on several Democratic campaigns, most recently serving as campaign manager for City Councilman Vincent Gentile’s unsuccessful bid for Congress last year.
The club also endorsed Joanne Seminara for Female Democratic District Leader in the 64th Assembly District.
“This may come as a shock to some other Democratic clubs but our club actually supports Democrats. Roots, beliefs and results matter here so our endorsements are never symbolic,” said Bay Ridge Democrats President Justin Brannan. “If we endorse you it means we will stand by you, work to get you on the ballot and do everything we can to get you elected. Our endorsement is more than just the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval and our record speaks for itself.”
The club also issued a statement that the will work hard for both endorsees as they look to extend their perfect record in primary campaigns where every candidate the club has ever endorsed has been victorious in the September primary. This point was not lost on McCreight.
“The club never had a loss in a primary and I’m not going to make it a first,” said McCreight. “I’m going to make sure Bay Ridge has a district leader that fights for Democrats. and is actively engaged in the November elections and not just in backroom deals that lead to the primaries in September.”
Club sources say that animosity towards Treyger goes back to when he was president of Assemblyman Bill Colton‘s United Progressive Democrats club and its refusal to endorse and/or work with Democrats Jamie Kemmerer and Andrew Gournardes to defeat Republican State Senator Marty Golden in the 2012 and 2014 elections.
The club also voted to not make an endorsement in the upcoming primary between 46th District incumbent Assemblymember Pamela Harris and Bay Ridge-based Kate Cucco.
Much to the consternation of the club, Treyger’s support of Harris helped her get the Democratic nod last year in a special election to replace former Assemblyman Alec Brook-Krasny, who retired mid-term. The club backed Cucco, who was Brook-Krasny’s chief of staff, in the fight for the nod.
“I think for most people the verdict is still out on Pam Harris because she has only been in office for 6 months and hasn’t done very much to make an impression,” said a Bay Ridge Democratic source. “I was told Kate was unable to make an official pitch to the Bay Ridge Dems due to a scheduling conflict and that is why the club decided to vote no endorsement. They are taking a wait-and-see approach to the race.”
