The September 12 primary is quickly approaching and tension is building as both Democratic and Republican candidates compete for the 43rd City Council seat covering Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights and parts of Bensonhurst and Bath Beach.
But before the Noble Nine candidates gear-up for another swag swinging week, KCP thought it fitting to offer a bit of humor to the presumably stressed out bunch. So we asked each of the candidates to tell us their funniest campaign story. Here is what those that responded had to say:
“I met my first grade teacher going door-to-door and I am proud to say she is voting for me,” said Republican candidate, John Quaglione.
Ms. Domowicz, a former teacher at P.S. 48 in Bay Ridge, was probably surprised to see how tall the first-grader has grown.
A campaign spokesperson for Democrat Kevin Peter Carroll gave KCP a humorous anecdote about an uncomfortable scenario.
“Kevin’s mother lives two floors below him and, as such, both of their names would appear at the same address on any walk list,” said the spokesperson. “One day, canvassers for one of Kevin’s opponents knocked on his front door and his mother answered. They were looking for her. She tells them “I’m Kevin Peter Carroll’s mother!” They replied, “Oh, the Kevin Peter Carroll?!” The canvasser quickly left.
The Rev. Khader El-Yateem, another Democratic candidate looking to take the hotly contested seat, experienced his own door-to-door rib-tickler.
“Once, I knocked on the door of an elderly woman in Dyker Heights who was so excited about my candidacy that she said she was going to cut out my photo and place it on the wall above her bed. I told her that wasn’t necessary, and that we would just call her to remind her to vote.”
The Reverend can be seen in the district wearing a black suit and clerical collar on any given day.
Not all the candidates experienced funny run-ins with humans. Republican candidate Liam McCabe seemed to be campaigning to canines too.
Everyone knows McCabe’s Siberian Husky, but even he was surprised when, upon meeting a local resident while out knocking on doors, her dog ran up and gave him a great big kiss.
“I don’t know if the Animals for Liam have been talking me up or if the dog was looking for me to put in a good word with Barrow, but it’s always good to get some love on the campaign trail,” said McCabe. “No word on what the pup’s neighborhood issues include, but I’m guessing it’s something about getting some more trees in the Dog Park, which sounds good to me.”
The light at the end of the MTA tunnel means more than an approaching train for Lucretia Regina-Potter, the only Republican woman in the race.
“For a while, I was the only Republican candidate on the ballot for district 43,” said Regina-Potter. I casually mentioned it to two volunteers who were riding the train back to Brooklyn with me. One of them blurted it out and then launched a full-fledged pitch of my candidacy to the passengers in the car. She was successful in securing votes from two young men who asked if they could vote for all three of us! The volunteers provided the men with voter registration cards and they changed their Party affiliation — on the spot.”
