Brooklyn Democratic Party Faces Backlash After Withdrawing Support For Hochul’s Running Mate

BROOKLYN, NY — A push by some Brooklyn Democratic Party members to rescind their endorsement of Adrienne Adams as Governor Kathy Hochul’s running mate has exposed deep divisions within the city’s largest party organization.

Councilmember Rodneyse Narcisse said she withdrew from discussions around reversing the endorsement after concluding the conversation did not interest her.
She reiterated her full support for Adams, praising the former council speaker’s integrity and steady leadership.

“I saw firsthand her integrity,” Narcisse said. “She has steady leadership. I’m delighted to see a Black woman, too, elevated to this role.”

Narcisse called the maneuvering within the party damaging at a time of high stakes for New Yorkers, particularly her Haitian immigrant constituents, who she said are being targeted by federal immigration enforcement.

“As Democrats, we have to hash out our issues to make sure we go forward, because the people need us, newcomers need us to be together right now more than ever,” she said.

The controversy followed a meeting of the Brooklyn Democratic Party executive committee that excluded some members, including Luke Ohlson, district leader for AD 50 in Greenpoint and Williamsburg. He criticized what he called a “lack of transparency.”

“There’s a lot that’s said about party unity when it comes to party leadership, but that same need for unity goes out the window when it becomes inconvenient,” Ohlson said. “And that is not fair, it’s not a good process.”

Other local elected officials also weighed in.

“Never has a Black woman worked so hard to tear down other Black women. The only political miscalculation is the one made by Chair Bichotte-Hermelyn,” councilmember Crystal Hudson wrote on X.

Councilmember Alexa Avilés and State Senator Andrew Gounardes called the move “embarrassing.”
Others said Chair Bichotte-Hermelyn had criticized the former speaker at the meeting, calling her “bad for Brooklyn.”

Hochul’s reelection campaign deferred comment to tweets by elected officials praising Adams as her running mate. In its own statement, the Brooklyn Democrats urged strategic decisions during challenging election cycles.

“We believe Democrats must make strong and strategic political decisions particularly during challenging election cycles,” the party wrote.