After 43 years, the dean of Brooklyn’s Democratic District leaders, is hanging up the gloves.
Jacob Gold, 73, represents the 44th Assembly District in the unpaid, but politically prestigious position that helps pick judges, run voting polls and carry petitions for party candidates to get on the ballot. The district includes Park Slope, Windsor Terrace, Kensington and Ditmas Park.
It comes just days after a NYPost story questioned Gold’s spending some $41,000 in campaign funds in a 10-year period from 2007-2017. While a number of district leaders have jobs in government, Gold is a real estate agent and retired public school teacher.
“My political career began as a delegate to the Democratic Convention supporting George McGovern for President; I was committed then as now to reform and progressive ideals. As a Democratic District Leader, I have served under five County Leaders, working with them when they were right and standing up to each of them when conscience dictated that I do so,” said Gold in a press release.
“My ability to continue to support these progressive values have been disparaged by an attempt to question my integrity. I assure you that I have never done anything illegal, immoral or even remotely unethical.
“I fully support transparency in theory and in practice. I assure you my service as your leader have always been to further the best interest of this district. To avoid any further distractions from the genuine issues in the coming campaign, I am choosing not to seek reelection.”
Gold’s resignation comes as he would have been facing a tough re-election bid against Park Slope-based Attorney Douglass Schneider.
“I want to thank Jake Gold for his decades of service to our community and I wish him well. I am running for Democratic District Leader to build a reform, progressive Brooklyn Democratic Party. I am looking forward to spending the summer engaging our Party’s grassroots across Ditmas Park, Kensington, Windsor Terrace, Park Slope and Victorian Flatbush and helping Democrats win elections up-and-down the ticket,” said Schneider.
Also thanking Gold for his service was 44th District Assemblymember Robert Carroll.
“I want to thank Jacob Gold for his 43 years of service to the New York State Democratic Party and to the 44th Assembly District. We have been lucky to have a District Leader in Jacob Gold who has been an active and dedicated leader in our neighborhoods and a staunch progressive Democrat. I wish him only the best in retirement and look forward to continuing to partner with him on issues that matter in the 44th Assembly District,“ said Carroll.
