U. S. Rep. Yvette Clarke‘s narrow primary win this week over newcomer Adem Bunkeddeko, along with rumors that Frank Seddio may retire or be pushed out as Kings County Democratic Party boss has many political insiders thinking that a shakeup in the borough’s political pecking order is on the horizon.
Clarke (D-Brownsville, Crown Heights, East Flatbush, Flatbush, Kensington, Park Slope, Prospect Heights, Midwood, Sheepshead Bay, Marine Park, Gerritsen Beach, Prospect Lefferts Gardens), a six-term incumbent, won with about 52% of the vote to Bunkeddeko’s 48% in a race that wasn’t decided until deep into election night.
The close race came despite Clarke’s almost total institutional political support including Mayor Bill de Blasio, U.S. Reps Hakeem Jeffries, Nydia Velazquez, Jerrold Nadler, Public Advocate Letitia James and a number of city and state lawmakers.
And while a win is a win, Clarke showed vulnerability, indicating her days of running in a Democratic Primary without an opponent are likely numbered. The primary result will either put a fire in her belly or she may go the way of former U.S. Rep. Ed Towns, who lost his political will to fight, and retired rather than run against the hard-charging Jeffries, who replaced him, said one political source.
“She [Clarke] needs to buckle down and do the work that is necessary – not just in DC, but here in the district as well,” said the source, adding Bunkeddeko and possibly other challengers will not be going away.
Meanwhile, several sources say Seddio may retire due to health-related issues at the end of the year – an idea that the county king refutes. “I won’t answer a question that doesn’t exist in the first place,” Seddio told KCP.
Other sources say there is a move to replace him with Assembly Member Walter Mosley (D-Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Prospect Heights, Crown Heights), who is also a district leader.
A number of sources say Mosley is in reach of the majority vote of the county’s 42 Democratic District leaders to become the county’s new boss, but it is no lock. Additionally, Jeffries – a close ally of Mosley – may put a stop to this scenario as Seddio’s blue-collar white base is a major voting block in Jeffries’ Congressional district.
Walter serving as county chair while going back and forth to Albany might be problematic in similar ways that U.S. Rep. Joe Crowley (D-Queens) found in traveling back and forth to Washington while being the Queens County Democratic Party Chair, said one source, noting Crowley’s upset loss for his House seat last week to political upstart Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
“Everybody’s got to take a breath and think about it,” said the source.
Meanwhile, another political rumor has it that de Blasio is looking to land his wife, Chirlane McCray, as the next Brooklyn borough president.
Under this scenario, should current Public Advocate Letitia James succeed in her run for state Attorney General, De Blasio would back Borough President Eric Adams in a special election for public advocate in exchange for Adams’ support of McCray for borough president.
Adams refuted this rumor saying his eye is only on becoming the next mayor, and that he has never discussed this scenario with either de Blasio or McCray.
Brooklyn’s Democratic Party is actually more cohesive than it has been for a long time with many of the old scores finally being settled and everybody getting along for the good of everybody, said Adams.
Adams observation may be on the money, but between Clarke’s narrow win and a number of citywide seats opening up in 2021, the Kentucky Derby doesn’t hold a candle to Brooklyn when it comes to jockeying for position.
