Ken Thompson
Ken Thompson
New York "progressives"
According to Communist Party USA member Danny Rubin, writing in the People's World;[1]
- The possibility for a turn in direction also depends on the outcome of the city council elections, where there is a substantial Progressive Caucus led by Melissa Mark-Viverito and Brad Lander. Viverito will seek election to the powerful post of speaker and has a real shot at it. There are also progressives running with serious shots at victory, such as Letisha James for public advocate and Ken Thompson for Brooklyn district attorney. Robert Jackson is running for Manhattan Borough president. All three are African American.
Brooklyn power players
Letitia James, the newly elected public advocate and the first black woman elected to a citywide office; Ken Thompson, who’ll be Brooklyn’s first black district attorney, and Eric Adams, who’ll be Brooklyn’s first black borough president, all hail from central Brooklyn.
By 2013, power players in Brooklyn’s black political establishment include Rep. Hakeem Jeffries; Assemblyman Karim Camara, chairman of the powerful Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus, and City Councilman Jumaane D. Williams of Flatbush, who recently threw his hat in the ring for Council speaker.
All are Democrats and all are relative newcomers, elected for the first time between 2003 and 2006.
However this group doesn’t want to be viewed as a bloc. In fact, some of them don’t even like each other.
“I think it’s coincidental that Ken Thompson happens to be my neighbor,” Letitia James said. “I think it’s coincidental that Eric Adams happens to live in my district, as well as Hakeem Jeffries.”
Instead, James said she wanted to align herself with a different group. “I owe my victory to women,” she said.
The politicians are united more by ideology than racial identity, said Adams spokesman Evan Thies. “Even more so than race, each of those candidates represent progressive values that have become mainstream in Brooklyn,” he said.
The rising Brooklyn stars have sided against each other more often than they have leaned on each other for support. Neither James nor Adams supported Thompson’s bid for DA. Instead, they endorsed his rival, longtime incumbent Charles Hynes.
James also worked for Jeffries’ rival, Roger Green, in Assembly races in 2000 and 2002. Both times, Jeffries lost.
Jeffries and Thompson, who are close friends, appear to be the only true allies in the group.
“I’m proud to have worked closely with Councilwoman James throughout the years and supported her campaign for public advocate, as well as supported the campaign of Ken Thompson,” Jeffries said.
“We’ve acquired significant political power in Brooklyn,” said Jeffries. “We can build upon the house that Harlem created in terms of black political empowerment and take it to the next level.”[2]
New era
“I am determined to make sure that a new era starts in Brooklyn,” the newly-elected Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson said, speaking at the Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network.[3]
References
- ↑ PW, New York City elections hold promise of change, by: Danny Rubin, March 21 2013
- ↑ [http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/brooklyn/power-article-1.1527254, Daily News, Brooklyn the new center of black political power in New York City, BY ANNIE KARNI / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2013,]
- ↑ [http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/nyc-council-set-lean-left-article-1.1519653, New York City Council set to turn sharply left toward a more liberal agenda,BY ERIN DURKIN / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS CITY HALL BUREAU SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2013, 1:22 AM]