Carroll Gardens Activist Looks To Take Lander's City Council Seat

CARROLL GARDENS, BROOKLYN — A local education activist has put her hat in the ring to become the next City Council member for Brad Lander's District 39 seat, once held by Mayor Bill de Blasio.

Briget Rein, a Carroll Gardens resident and former Brooklyn teacher, announced her campaign with Kings County Politics this week. She has become the second candidate officially running for the District 39 seat, which will be empty once Lander's term-limit is up in the 2021 election.

Rein told Kings County Politics that she has been hoping for a while to continue Lander's, and de Blasio's, legacy representing the Northwest Brooklyn district, which stretches over Park Slope and Gowanus from Kensington, all the way to the Columbia Waterfront.

“Two years ago, I decided that it would be a good opportunity for me to continue my work in City Hall and run for City Council,” Rein said. “I believe that my community is extremely important. I thank Bill de Blasio and Brad Lander for their service. Both of them did a superb job, and I want to continue doing that job.”

Rein was raised in Midwood and worked as a teacher at PS109 in Flatbush before joining the political world when she became the United Federation of Teachers chapter leader for her school. She would eventually go on to work for the union and has been a longtime activist for their cause.

“With that activism, I got involved in campaigns,” Rein told Kings County Politics.

Rein works now as the union's city hall liaison and has worked as the deputy political director for the organization.

The issues she holds most closely include education and the new development that will hit the Gowanus area, which is currently slated for a massive rezoning plan.

She is joined in the race by New Kings Democrats President Brandon West. Others have been rumored to run, but haven't officially announced yet.

Patch plans to talk more with Rein next week.