A political hopeful got an icy reception in Brighton Beach when he stumped against a long-maligned 40-story tower planned over the old Trump Village shopping center.
Locals called Bay Ridgite Chris McCreight a Johnny-come-lately for finally publicly opposing the contentious tower, which has been in the works for years. McCreight is running for male Democratic district leader in the 46th Assembly District, which stretches from Coney Island to Bay Ridge and includes a sliver of Brighton Beach.
McCreight held a rally alongside female district leader hopeful Brigitte Purvis and assembly candidate Kate Cucco on Aug. 23 to demand a public meeting with developers, but locals say McCreight, who works as a manager in Trump Village, is getting on board too late compared to opponent Councilman Mark Treyger (D–Coney Island), who opposed the plan from the get-go and whose district does not even include Trump Village.
“You should have been speaking out two years ago,” shouted Community Board 13 member Ida Sanoff. “You weren’t at those meetings, I was at every single one. [Treyger] is the only person who has gone to bat for this community — right now you’re bulls—— us.”
McCreight fired back, accusing Treyger of planting supporter Sanoff in the crowd.
“I didn’t want to make this politics, but my opponent Mark Treyger sent Ida here to attack me,” he said during the rally.
But other Trump Village residents agreed that McCreight has been absent from the discussion and is only now vocal about his opposition to the development because he’s running for district leader, said a source who lives in Trump Village.
“[Councilman Chaim] Deutsch was there from day one. Treyger there from day one. [Comptroller Scott] Stringer was there from day one. Chris where were you? If you’re going to be active, be active just don’t do it for the sake of an election,” according to the resident, who is also active in local civic and political groups.
But McCreight argued that he has been involved and said the community shouldn’t hold it against him that he couldn’t make one meeting last year.
“In the past there was a meeting on one night that I really wanted to go to, and I had an illness in my family, and there was just nothing I could do,” said McCreight. “They can hold that against me, but I think my actions beyond that meeting speak louder. I do work in Trump, and one of the reasons I’m here is because I’m concerned about the residents.”
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Mercedes Narcisse bowed out of the race for 59th Assembly District committeewoman when a three-day trial revealed she does not live in the district, as first reported by Kings County Politics.
Narcisse said she accepts the court’s conclusion and is still campaigning against state Sen. Roxanne Persaud (D–Canarsie) for a seat in the 19th Senatorial District, where she does live.
But the apparent lie has tainted her reputation, and will hurt her chances in the race, according to party honchos backing Persaud.
“Voters in the 19th Senatorial District should take into consideration her misrepresenting her address in the district leader’s race and re-elect Roxanne Persaud,” said Brooklyn Democratic Party spokesman Bob Liff.
And county Democratic party boss Frank Seddio’s position as male district leader appears to be safe — challenger Spencer Cineus dropped his bid along with Narcisse’s.
