Forces loyal to Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams and State Senator Jesse Hamilton edged close to putting up a candidate to run against 43rd District Freshman Assemblywoman Diana Richardson (Crown Heights, Lefferts Gradens), but an uneasy truce was made at the 25th hour, sources familiar with the situation told KCP.
Richardson, who won the seat in a special election on the Working Families Party line when former Assemblyman Karim Camara retired mid-term, has a reputation as being “difficult,” and as a result has not won many friends from Kings County Democratic Party Chair Frank Seddio and down the political chain of command.
Adams and Hamilton wanted to keep 43rd Assembly Democratic District leaders Shirley Patterson and Geoffrey Davis in place, and warned Richardson not to run anybody against them, particularly against Patterson. However, when word came out that Richardson might run somebody against Patterson, the call went out to lifelong Crown Heights activist Pia Raymond to throw her hat in the ring.
However, following a series of phone calls and meetings yesterday, Raymond’s candidacy is on hold for now. But with petitioning due to start next Tuesday and with only 500 signatures needed to get on the ballot to run for assembly, things remain extremely fluid.
On the male district side, there was some speculation that Brian Cunningham, who worked for the offices of both State Sen. Kevin Parker and City Councilwoman Laurie Cumbo, and is mounting a challenge to Flatbush City Council Member Mathieu Eugene next year, may run against Davis. But Cunningham told KCP he has no interest in running for the unpaid district leader position.
“I’m not running for district leader. It has never been my intention. I respect the work of district leaders, but you can’t introduce legislation of pass bills like in the city council,” he said.
