Call her Brooklyn’s boss lady!
That after several sources confirmed that Assemblywoman Rodneyse Bichotte (D-Flatbush, Ditmas Park) will have an overwhelming majority of district leader votes to become the new chair of Brooklyn’s Democratic Party when the county committee leaders meet on Monday night.
News that current County Chair Frank Seddio is stepping down on Wednesday and Bichotte, chair of the county’s finance committee is expected to replace him, was first reported yesterday by the Brooklyn Paper.
“Rodneyse is very well respected among a number of district leader colleagues,” said one district leader source. “Especially her ability to help various candidates win office including in the public advocate’s race and on the city council and assembly race levels. She is a highly sought after supporter. If she makes something her objective she is going to put all her energy into it and will go above and beyond as county leader in pushing members above and beyond what they think they can achieve.”
Bichotte has also proven to be an excellent fundraiser with strong relationships with the Orthodox Jewish community, organized labor, the legal world and large construction contractors from the East Indian immigrant base who have risen in the WMBE (Womens & Minority Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise) world – particularly for construction work.
Bichotte is the assembly chair of the Subcommittee on Oversight of Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (MWBEs).
Sources say that Bichotte should easily get a majority of the county’s 42 Democratic District leader votes on Monday that include Brownsville’s Anthony Jones, Bushwick’s Tommy Torres and Fort Greene’s Olanike Alabi.
Bichotte’s expected naming as county leader is a blow to Assemblyman Walter Mosley (D-Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Prospect Heights, Crown Heights) who has long coveted that spot. Sources say, Mosley, if he decides to mount a challenge this Monday night when the county leaders meet would be fortunate to get 10 votes.
“He (Mosley) has boxed himself in, and it is unlikely he will get much support,” said one source.
Among the possible issues of intrigue moving forward is who Bichotte will support for next year’s Brooklyn Borough President’s race. On one hand, Bichotte is very close to Mayor Bill de Blasio, who is reportedly pushing hard for his wife, First Lady Chirlane McCray to run.
But on the other hand, she could support City Councilmember Robert Cornegy Jr. (D-Bedford-Stuyvesant, Northern Crown Heights), who sided with her and City Councilmember Farah Louis (D-East Flatbush, Midwood)) in the recent brouhaha over the siting of the Urban Dove Charter school in Midwood.
Besides politics, Bichotte is very accomplished in a number of fields and has solid international experience. She earned and holds an MBA from Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management, an MS in Electrical Engineering from Illinois Institute of Technology, a BS in Electrical Engineering from SUNY Buffalo, a BS in Mathematics in Secondary Education and a BT in Electrical Engineering both from Buffalo State College.
To get to know Bichotte a bit more check out this KCP Podcast of Uncorrect New York.
