A cornerstone of Brooklyn’s political history is embarking on a new chapter.
The Thomas Jefferson Democratic Club celebrated its move from its longtime home in Canarsie to a new location in Mill Basin at one final meeting at the Conklin Avenue space on May 8.
Addressing a packed crowd, Frank Seddio — past chair of the Brooklyn Democratic Party and president of the Thomas Jefferson Club from 1992 to 1998 — shared memories of its storied history.
“This is it,” he began, reflecting on the club’s longstanding legacy. “Let me tell you a little history here.”
“In July 1965, I had the pleasure of being 18 years old and sitting right there as we bought this building,” Seddio recalled, pointing to a seat in the back of the room. “Some of you may not realize it, but where you’re standing, that was the end of the building back then. The following year, 1966, [then-Brooklyn Democratic Party boss] Meade Esposito raised some money and they built this extension.”
The Thomas Jefferson Democratic Club is the longest-running Democratic club in the state and remains one of the most active political organizations in New York City. It currently represents the communities of Mill Basin, Flatlands, Bergen Beach, Georgetown, Marine Park, Mill Island, Bayview and the Glenwood Houses, but throws its weight behind candidates across the city and state.
“This is the most powerful Democratic club in the state of New York,” Seddio told the Brooklyn Eagle at a recent event with former Congress Member Ed Towns. “We lead the way; we show the others how to do it right.”
The club’s departure from 77 Conklin Ave. comes nearly a year after the longtime headquarters hit the market for $1.5 million last summer. The listing marked a turning point for one of Brooklyn’s oldest and most influential Democratic organizations.
For decades, the Thomas Jefferson Democratic Club has been a powerful behind-the-scenes force in local politics. From its Canarsie headquarters, members have raised funds for candidates up and down the ballot, offered endorsements that helped shape elections, and mentored generations of political newcomers.
The building itself, a 6,000-square-foot structure built in 1960, sits between East 93rd and East 94th streets and has been a symbol of old-guard Brooklyn politics.
“We’ve had a long, really rich history in this building,” Seddio said, adding that the club’s relocation is driven in part by the need to adapt to changing district lines.
“When we opened the [clubhouse] in 1962, it was located on Atlantic Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue, which is where our district was at the time,” Seddio told the crowd. “They changed the district lines after that…so they moved the club initially to Rockaway Parkway and Avenue M until they brought this building in 1965.”
Looking ahead, Seddio offered a lighthearted look at the club’s new home.
“We are now moving to the Mill Basin Deli,” he joked. “We’re going to be on Avenue T, between East 58th and 59th Street.”
The decision to relocate was also a response to a shifting political landscape in Brooklyn, which required the club to centralize in a more accessible location to better serve its evolving membership. As Seddio put it, “I look at the diversity of our club, how our club has actually emerged and evolved into all of you. So you are going to make history as well.”
Seddio said the club aims to settle into the new space by the end of June.
