We endorse Avilés, Hanif and Mamdani, by the Red Hook Star-Revue Editorial Team

It’s primary month. As far as the City Council is concerned, the Democratic Party primary in June is the real election, not the usually uncompetitive one in November.

The battles over two city council seats in South Brooklyn, Districts 38 and 39, seem to be coming down to the wire. In district 38, which includes Red Hook, incumbent progressive Council Member Alexa Avilés is being challenged by a more moderate Democrat in Ling Ye. Council Member Shahana Hanif in District 39, which covers Park Slope, Carroll Gardens, Gowanus and Cobble Hill, is in a similar battle against political newbie Maya Kornberg.

Both Avilés and Hanif are running on their records. In conversation, Hanif noted her record of supporting tenants, reproductive and workers’ rights; Avilés highlighted her efforts to provide more constituent services in her district as her proudest achievement, as well as bringing investments for parks and playgrounds. The two incumbents have also been vocal critics of Mayor Eric Adams, and in neighborhoods like Red Hook and the Columbia Waterfront District they are appreciated for their continuing efforts to prevent the city from allowing luxury real estate developers run amok in the city’s last remaining waterfront.

Progressive voices needed
Their progressive voices have been important during their current term and could become even more so, depending on who is the next mayor. Imagine for a second that Andrew Cuomo, whose entire campaign is funded by billionaires and the real estate lobby, becomes the next mayor and sets his sights on the South Brooklyn waterfront. Would Hanif’s challenger Kornberg, who has received donations from a number of billionaires — including one who also donated $250,000 to Cuomo’s super PAC Fix the City — with likely no interest in preserving current communities, stand up against Cuomo? Would Ye, who the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY) is supporting through its independent expenditure Jobs for New York? Up to you to decide.

And for every argument for making Avilés and Hanif the top choices in their respective districts, there are arguments against voting for Ye and Kornberg.

To put it simply: Two of the four candidates rely on outside forces to drive their campaigns, and two don’t. This becomes evident as soon as one begins to “follow the money.”
Kornberg and Ye have both had their campaigns boosted by mega-wealthy donors outside their districts, including hedge fund billionaire Daniel Loeb and former oligarch Leonard Blavatnik. And they are not just donating directly, they are also spending on advertising through various interest group PACS.

Kornberg and Ye are also endorsed by the pro-Israel political action committee Solidarity PAC, which has a mission to oust any elected officials in the city who, as Hanif told us in March, “have stood up against violence and called for a permanent ceasefire” in Gaza. Yet, Kornberg told us that it’s Hanif that’s making this city council election about the conflict between Israel and Palestine.

That same narrative has been repeated and magnified by several media outlets, allowing Kornberg to come out as a the candidate for those who care about the local issues, rather than faraway geopolitical conflicts. A particularly flagrant example was the Brooklyn Downtown Star’s endorsement of Kornberg in a May 29 opinion piece titled “Why is this Council Race About Israel? Vote Kornberg.” The paper claims that Hanif is “basically ignoring” the Brooklyn Marine Terminal redevelopment, ignoring the fact that Hanif is actually on the BMT Task Force.

On the contrary, it is Kornberg who up until the last few months hadn’t really bothered to learn why the community was so up in arms about the city’s plans.

The Star editorial team also appears surprised that mayoral candidate Brad Lander didn’t support Kornberg, perhaps forgetting the fact that Hanif worked for Lander and now occupies his former seat on the city council.

The Downtown Star ends with insinuating that if voters want someone who actually knocks on people’s doors, they should vote for Kornberg. A bizarre statement, obviously, as door-knocking is an extremely common way to find and meet voters. We spoke to Hanif, who confirmed that she, indeed, goes door-knocking.

For those in Red Hook, it’s also worth noting that Ye used to work for U.S. Rep Dan Goldman, who acts as if the EDC waterfront plan is the best thing since sliced bread. That should give pause.

But even if none of the rest was true; even if no billionaires were involved, or REBNY, or the owner of Madison Square Garden, or Uber, and we, for a moment, only look at the issues facing the district there is no doubt that Avilés and Hanif have a better handle on how to deal with the key battles that will take place in districts 38 and 39.

We are sure that none of the four candidates are anti-semitic, and only the incumbents, especially Avilés, will stand up to the heavy hitting real estate interests.

If you live in District 38, the choice is clear:
Vote Alexa Avilés.

If you live in District 39, the choice is equally clear:
Vote Shahana Hanif.

And, if you don’t want a disgraced former governor for mayor, vote for Zohran Mamdani and do not rank Cuomo at all.