Brooklyn Rep Demands Opponent's 'Fake' Name Be Taken Off Ballot

WINDSOR TERRACE, BROOKLYN — A Brooklyn politician found a new way to resort to name calling.

State Sen. Simcha Felder is demanding Blake Morris — the candidate challenging him in the upcoming primary for the 17th Senate District — be booted from the ballot for using an allegedly false first name on his nomination papers, court records show.

Felder filed suit in New York State Supreme Court this week claiming that Morris broke the rules when he submitted nominating petitions under his middle name, Blake, and not his first name, Lawrence, court records show.

Felder’s attorney Aaron Maslow will argue that because Morris didn’t use a variant of his first name — as did Martin “Marty” Markowitz, the former Brooklyn Borough President who successfully fought similar charges — the law dictates his petitions should be held invalid, according to reports.

“He used a name that’s not his real legal name,” the attorney told Kings County Politics. “There’s actually case-law that goes both ways on this.”

But Morris countered that because Blake is his middle name, and because he legally changed his name on his voter registration form, his petitions are valid and Felder’s suit it not.

“Sometimes I go by L. Blake Morris or just Blake Morris,” Morris responded in a series of tweets. “None of those is ‘fake.’”

Felder’s attorney is slated to appear in Brooklyn Civil Court on July 31 to show cause why Morris’ petitions should be invalidated, court records show.

Should the judge rule in Morris' favor, he'll face off against Felder in a primary race, slated for Sept. 13, in Kensington, Midwood and Borough Park.

Photo courtesy of the New York State Senate