Could the Barron political dynasty be overthrown?
Charles Barron is vying to win his wife Inez Barron’s New York City Council District 42 seat, which she is leaving this year due to term limits. The majority-Black district encompases East New York and its subsections such as Spring Creek and Starrett City. Charles Barron previously won the same seat in 2001. His wife won the Assembly seat in 2008 and they swapped seats when Charles was term-limited out of the City Council in 2013, with Inez running successfully to replace him and Charles then replacing her in the Assembly.
But some have grown tired of the Barrons’ seat swapping, particularly local politicos who say the district is in need of new leadership, pointing to the neighborhood’s high rates of poverty and unemployment, and a recent upward trend in shootings as some of the most pressing issues in the district. Others remember the iconoclastic, radical couple known for generating their share of controversy, for their
Candidates for Brooklyn judgeships logged on to a virtual forum Tuesday night to introduce themselves to voters. In the process, they provided a glimpse into some of the complex back-room dealings that underpin judicial elections in New York.
The Surrogate’s Court hears cases involving the probate of wills, the administration of estates and trust proceedings. Brooklyn’ two surrogate’s judges (only one slot is open this cycle), also play a critical role in the local Democratic party’s ability to dole out patronage, because they can give out lucrative estate cases to lawyers favored by the party.
Particularly problematic is the court’s Public Administrator’s office, which handles the assets of those who die without wills. The surrogate’s judges, who serve 14-year terms, appoints the public administrator, which means the (often party-aligned) judge has the unique power to appoint the head of a city agency and the office’s chief lawyer. As a result, the position often g
New BOE Counsel is a Boundary Breaker and a Shrewd Political Choice
After a year in which both the BOE and the Brooklyn Democratic Party that partially controls it were pummelled with accusations of corruption and incompetence, Patel s appointment is seen as a broadly popular decision across the borough’s fractured political landscape.
Hemalee Patel at a political event in 2020. Liena Zagare/Bklyner
Last week, the city’s Board of Elections named Brooklyn attorney Hemalee Patel as its new General Counsel, replacing scandal-laden Steve Richman as the Board’s top lawyer.
The BOE’s appointment of Patel, a 20-year court system veteran who is the first South Asian woman to hold the role, was a win for those looking to elevate women of color in government. But the appointment was also notable because, after a year in which both the BOE and the Brooklyn Democratic Party that partially controls it were pummelled with accusations of corruption and incompetence, it represented a bro
Did Candidates Flee to Vacation Homes? 5 Highlights From the Mayorâs Race
Questions surrounding candidatesâ second homes, ranked-choice voting and ties to casino interests arose in New Yorkâs mayoral contest.
Maya Wiley, center, and other candidates shared their whereabouts during the first several months of the pandemic. She spent 10 days outside of the city on Long Island in July.Credit.Jose A. Alvarado Jr. for The New York Times
Published Jan. 25, 2021Updated Feb. 3, 2021
One of the main unanswered questions in this yearâs mayoral race is how the introduction of ranked-choice voting will change the nature of the election.
We’ve said it before, but mayoral candidate Zach Iscol said it again: What a great city this would be if we all could see it through Dave Colon’s eyes.
Iscol stated the obvious as part of a mayoral forum on Tuesday night hosted by the Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats [full video here] during a segment with fellow candidates Andrew Yang, Dianne Morales and Ray McGuire (whom Streetsblog readers are hearing from for the first time, as he skipped our mayoral questionnaires).
In the segment (beginning at 1:57:35), the candidates were asked by NY1’s Gloria Pazmino to reflect on how Paris transformed itself “into a cycling Mecca” during the coronavirus pandemic, creating a city that “is greener, has less traffic and has improved air quality.”