Donald Cranston, who ran unsuccessfully to be the Democratic nominee for southern Brooklyn this year, has switched parties to run in the general election on the Republican and Conservative Party lines, he announced Wednesday.
“As many of you know, I recently ran a strong campaign as a moderate in the 46th Council District in the Democrat primary, but despite my falling short, my passion to represent this community has not ended,” Cranston, a longtime fixture in city and state government, said in an Aug. 25 Facebook post. “That is why I am continuing my campaign on the Republican and Conservative lines because so much is at stake in this election.”
In his post, Cranston identified “public safety, clean streets, and good schools” as top priorities in the Council seat, which includes southeastern Brooklyn neighborhoods like Canarsie, Marine Park, Flatlands, Bergen Beach, Gerritsen Beach, Mill Basin, and part of Sheepshead Bay
“These beliefs are not partisan,” he said. “They are universal. As the great fusion candidate, Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia, said, ‘There is no Democratic or Republican way to clean the streets.'”
Cranston ran in the crowded Democratic primary this year to replace incumbent Democratic Councilmember Alan Maisel in the district, but came in fourth place with 12.9 percent of first choice ballots, and was eliminated after the fifth round of ranked-choice voting.
Mercedes Narcisse won the primary, and is heavily favored to win in the solidly Democratic district.
“I firmly believe that the voters of the 46th Council District want a council member who they can trust. The voters know what they will get with Mercedes Narcisse, a hard worker with a desire and passion to serve all the people of the district,” Narcisse said in a statement to Brooklyn Paper. “As such, I remain confident that the voters in November won’t be blinded by political gamesmanship, and will once again choose the most qualified and best candidate in the race. As the next City Council Member from the 46th I look forward to working with Mr. Cranston and anyone else who shares my goal of making our district a great place to work, live and enjoy.”
Cranston did not respond to a request for comment, nor did reps for the Brooklyn GOP and Conservative Party.
No Republican or Conservative primary was held in the race. In 2013, the last time the 46th District seat was open, Democrat Maisel trounced his Republican opponent Anthony Testaverde 73 to 18 percent.
While much of the district was won by Donald Trump in the 2020 election, including Marine Park, Gerritsen Beach, Bergen Beach, and Mill Basin, the slim Republican margins in those areas was outweighed by the significant advantage Joe Biden had in solid blue Canarsie.
