If last night’s Brooklyn GOP mayoral forum is any indication both Republican frontrunner Paul Massey and Mayor Bill de Blasio need to start looking over their shoulder because Rev. Michel Faulkner is making a hard charge for the City’s top job.
Brooklyn GOP Chair Teddy Ghorra served as the MC at the forum held at the Dyker Heights Golf Clubhouse, and although Massey spoke first, it was both Faulkner’s presentation that drew the most applause and genuinely excited the room of more than 100 Brooklyn stalwart Republicans.
And it helped that Faulkner came with a well-organized ground game including a number of campaign workers waving placards and banners, and passing out palm cards after the event.
“For three years this mayor has neglected the needs of New York City for trying to get national exposure and he’s not good at it. As a New Yorker, I’m the last hope for stemming the progressive movement,” said Faulkner, originally from Washington DC and who came to New York originally as a New York Jets player in 1981 and who has been a registered Republican since 1980.
“In a City that’s five to one Democrats to Republicans, this election will be an uphill battle, but New Yorkers have always had a bipartisan view when it comes to the mayoralty. We have a real opportunity because our current mayor is so bad and we desperately need a change. But for us to win in November, we have to be Republicans not Democratic-like. I’m a dyed in the wool Republican. Small government and individual responsiblity are key and fundamental to us prospering as Americans.”
Faulkner, who is black, also noted how the Republican Party was originally started for and largely by Blacks just prior and following the Civil War, and with 56 percent of the city’s electorate being black and Latino, he feels he can win this demographic back into the GOP.
“Our message is not resonating and connecting with African-American voters, but that’s about to change because the Democrats have failed them. We can reach them now in an organic fashion, ” he said. “This administration is mired in corruption. I’m the new face of the Republican Party. I started this campaign two years ago and have talked to thousands of New Yorkers.”
In so far as issues, Faulkner said he believes stop-and-frisk remains a useful tool for police, but should be only utilized if a community requests it. Responding to a question from community activist Joe Gonzalez, Faulkner said while he believes strongly in the Second Amendment right to bear arms, he is against reciprocity gun laws, referring to a bilateral agreement between two states that agree to honor each other’s concealed carry permits.
Faulkner also said he doesn’t think New York should be a sanctuary city because we’re a country of laws, but he recognizes New York City as being a city of immigrants and that they must continue to be welcomed and honored in a lawful manner.
Massey, originally from Boston, said he is running good part because he feels an obligation to give back to the city where he came to as a young man with $150 and built the Massey-Kanckel real estate empire.
“I’m partly running because we have a significant leadership vacuum and you can feel it. Leadership sets a strategy and a vision. It’s difficult to give an honest reckoning of the mayor. There are currently six investigations and two grand juries impaneled regarding his administration and his senior officials are being looked at. There are possible indictments of him and his senior management team. If this happened to a business employees would be running for door and they’d have no clients,” Massey said.
Following Massey’s presentation and the question and answer period, he left fairly quickly. Faulkner arrived late, but following his presentation he worked the room and was one of the last people to leave.
