Jabari Brisport Declares Victory In Brooklyn State Senate Race

BROOKLYN, NY — Jabari Brisport, a public school teacher from Prospect Heights, has become the latest socialist challenger to claim victory over an establishment candidate in New York City's Democratic Primary race.

Brisport, who held a lead for the state Senate's 25th District after the June 23 primary, announced Thursday that his campaign has calculated a 10,000-vote win over Assembly Member Tremaine Wright after thousands of absentee ballots were counted the last few weeks.

The win makes Brisport the first openly queer person of color to join the New York Legislature.

“This victory is about the movement to build a New York that works for the working class and for people of color," Jabari said Thursday. "It was built by over 1,000 volunteers who donated their time and energy to this fight in the midst of an unprecedented crisis, and small donors who contributed in record-breaking numbers because they believed in a candidate funded by the people, not corporations."

The race for the 25th District — which covers Bed-Stuy, Crown Heights, Prospect Heights, Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Park Slope and other west Brooklyn neighborhoods — was left open when incumbent Sen. Velmanette Montgomery announced she would step down after years of serving the district.

A third challenger for the seat, Jason Salmon, dropped out of the race shortly after the June 23 primary and threw his support behind Brisport.

In an email to supporters, Wright acknowledged that she "trails" in the ballot count, but did not officially concede. She said a virtual meeting to announce the final results is forthcoming.

Her campaign did not immediately return a request for comment from Patch.

Brisport's win is one of several victories for the Democratic Socialists of America in the 2020 primary.

Also this week, neighborhood organizer Emily Gallagher beat out 23-term Brooklyn Assembly Member Joseph Lentol and Phara Souffrant Forrest, also in North Brooklyn, claimed a win Wednesday over incumbent Assembly Member Walter Mosley.

Insurgent wins also include Zohran Mamdani in Queens and Marcela Mitaynes, who claimed victory over incumbent Felix Ortiz in a West Brooklyn district.

The results come as poll workers began counting an unprecedented number of mail in ballots earlier this month, submitted as the new coronavirus crisis kept many New Yorkers at home.

Read more about Wright here and more about Brisport here.