The Brooklyn Democratic Party flip-flopped again on Friday morning, re-endorsing Gov. Kathy Hochul less than 48 hours after it had pulled its support for her candidacy.
In a statement issued just before the state Democratic party’s nominating convention, the Brooklyn Dems said they were “prepared to move forward in unity and support Governor Hochul in our shared efforts to win back the House and ensure Democratic leadership remains strong across New York.”
“We expressed our concerns, and while continued discussions are necessary to build and strengthen relationships, we understand that the only pathway forward is together,” the statement reads. “Today we head into the state convention as proud Democrats committed to strengthening our Party.”
Hochul easily won the state Democratic party’s nomination as the official Democratic gubernatorial candidate on Friday afternoon.
The heel turn came after a chaotic and confounding week that began with the Brooklyn Dems voting to endorse Hochul. It was the governor’s selection of Adrienne Adams as lieutenant governor that triggered a meltdown for the city’s largest Democratic organization.
Party chair Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, unhappy with the choice, called some members of the executive committee to an emergency meeting on Wednesday, sources said. Attendees agreed to withdraw the party’s nomination, citing Hochul’s “failure to engage or consult Brooklyn Democratic leaders” before selecting a lieutenant governor.
At her first public appearance with Adams on Thursday, Hochul said she “looks forward to continuing to work with the many allies and supporters we have in Brooklyn.”
“We’ll move through this,” she said. “People do what they do for their own reasons. I only focus on what’s good for the state of New York, and what’s good for the state of New York is having Adrienne Adams by my side.”
Adams, meanwhile, said there was “no beef” between she and Bichotte Hermelyn.
“We all know that as Democrats there are going to be differences,” she said. “Whether there are differences here, today, tomorrow, there are going to be differences, but we pride ourselves on having a big tent.”
In an appearance on “Inside City Hall” on Thursday night, Bichotte Hermelyn doubled down on her critiques, arguing that the governor should have chosen a running mate who would appeal to more voters in Brooklyn, particularly in districts that have flipped red in recent years.
“We have nothing against Hochul, we want her to win, but we want New York State to win,” she said.
Roughly 14 hours after Bichotte Hermelyn’s TV appearance, the party announced its decision to re-endorse Hochul. A spokesperson for the party chair told NY1 that Bichotte Hermelyn had engaged in “really productive” conversations with Hochul and her team.
The make-up did not completely smooth things over within the Brooklyn Democratic Party, though, as some members — already frustrated by their leader’s repeated switch-ups and an emergency meeting they said violated party rules — felt left in the dark.
“I was not involved in any of the discussions or meetings in which our endorsement was rescinded and then later reinstated,” Executive Committee member and District Leader Julio Peña told Brooklyn Paper. “I do not know what informed her decision to reinstate the endorsement but as a District Leader in Brooklyn, I’ve been embarrassed by the last 36 hours.”
Peña and a slate of other “Reform Brooklyn District Leaders” condemned Bichotte Hermelyn’s actions in a joint statement on Thursday, saying her “bizarre decision-making” had caused “chaos and confusion” within the party.
“The fact that this endorsement was reversed without the required notice, without a meeting, without consulting all of the District Leaders, is proof positive that we need a wholesale change in the leadership of our party,” the Reform group wrote. “ … Every Brooklyn party position is up for election this June, and we are part of this coalition because it is clear that our party deserves new leadership.”
