Brooklyn Democrats Elect New Chair Amid Court Order Violations
Assemblymember Nikki Lucas elected party chair in a late-night Zoom vote that appears to defy multiple court orders, escalating a contentious leadership battle.
Assemblymember Nikki Lucas elected party chair in a late-night Zoom vote that appears to defy multiple court orders, escalating a contentious leadership battle.
· Updated
Assemblymember Nikki Lucas has been elected the new chair of the Brooklyn Democratic Party. The vote occurred during a late-night Zoom meeting and appears to be in violation of several court orders.
Only 13 of the 42 district leaders elected in the June primary voted in favor of Lucas. The majority of the votes came from 21 newly added executive committee members, whose addition to the committee had previously been found illegal by lower and appeals courts.
Reformers aligned with the New Kings Democrats group, who have been engaged in a fight for party leadership, have criticized the vote as illegal and undemocratic. They have filed paperwork in ongoing lawsuits asking a judge to hold party leadership in contempt of court.
This election follows a series of legal challenges over the party's leadership. Previous court rulings have deemed rule changes made by outgoing leadership, which aimed to dilute the reformers' majority, as "null and void."
A temporary injunction had been issued to halt the vote, but the meeting proceeded regardless. The Brooklyn Democratic Party and its former chair, Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, did not comment on the apparent violations of court orders.
FAQ
Who was elected as the new chair of the Brooklyn Democratic Party?
Assemblymember Nikki Lucas was elected as the new chair.
What legal issues surround the election of the new party chair?
The election appears to violate multiple court orders, including previous rulings that found the addition of certain executive committee members to be illegal.
