Brooklyn Deputy Borough President Diana Reyna is leaving the borough president’s office, KCP has learned.
“Yes she is leaving. We were lucky to have had her as the deputy for the last four years,” Borough President Eric Adams said in a text.
Reyna, a former three-term city council member representing the Bushwick/Williamsburg area, could not be reached for comment.
First elected to the City Council in 2001 and term-limited out of the council in 2013, Reyna was the first Domincan-American woman elected to public office in New York State.
She began her political career working as the chief of staff for the former and late Assembly Member and Kings County Democratic Party Boss Vito Lopez.
The two then had a very public falling out resulting in Lopez running an unsuccessful candidate against Reyna in the 2009 primary and general election. Current City Council Member Antonio Reynoso, who got his political start as Reyna’s chief of staff, succeeded Reyna in the seat, defeating Lopez in the 2014 Democratic primary.
While Reyna could not be reached for comment, political speculation has it she might have stepped down to join the Mayor Bill de Blasio Administration or distancing herself from Adams for a possible run for the borough presidency in four years.
Meanwhile, there are rumors floating around from several sources that Adams, a retired NYPD Captain, has some interest in becoming the next NYPD Commissioner as de Blasio reshuffles his current administration deck for his upcoming second term or if current NYPD Commissioner James O’Neill decides he wants to move on.
But a close aide to Adams put that rumor to rest.
“Eric is concentrating on being the Borough President. Currently, there is no truth to that rumor,” the aide said.
Either way, with many City Council members term-limited in four years, there is already some early jockeying and rumors on who might run for borough president in four years.
Among the names being mentioned besides Reyna, are City Council Members Mark Treyger, Jumaane Williams and Laurie Cumbo and State Sen. Jesse Hamilton.
