Five Brooklyn Democrats Fight Incumbent GOPers Amid County Party Chaos

Five Democratic candidates in southern Brooklyn are preparing to face incumbent Republicans this November, doing so while their county party is mired in a months-long legal dispute over leadership. The candidates are running in districts that have shifted heavily toward the GOP in recent years, forcing them to rely on local volunteers rather than the standard machine support that typically drives general election campaigns.

The stakes in the south borough are high. In 2022, Republicans defeated three Democratic state Assembly members in seats that had been blue for decades. That same year, Nicole Malliotakis defeated Max Rose by more than 40,000 votes in NY-11. In 2024, Republican Steve Chan unseated Democrat Iwen Chu in the first Asian-majority state Senate district. These losses fueled the rise of New Kings Democrats, a reform group that voted out longtime party chair Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn in June.

The reformers backed Julio Peña III, a longtime district leader. “Our number one job needs to be electing Democrats,” Peña said. He argued that personal feelings should take a backseat to the core responsibility of winning elections. Bichotte Hermelyn responded in August by introducing new party rules that blocked the reformers’ plan and secured her tenure. Courts have ruled against her on multiple occasions, but she held a vote on Oct. 4 to elect Assembly Member Nikki Lucas as party chair. Reformers claim that vote violated a temporary restraining order and are waiting for a final court decision.

Amid this conflict, party members have raised concerns about the lack of support for five specific races. Mike DeCillis is challenging Malliotakis in NY-11. Joey Cohen-Saban is running in AD-45, Chris McCreight in AD-46, Joyce Xie in AD-49, and Larry He in SD-17. Public Advocate Jumaane Williams said in September that the party’s internal fighting was a distraction. “We have other battles as a Democratic Party we should be fighting,” Williams said. He noted that a poll showed a Republican candidate was within five points of the Democratic governor, yet the party was focused on a power grab.

McCreight, who is challenging incumbent Republican Alec Brook-Krasny in AD-46, said he has not received support from the county party. He has run for Assembly before, losing to Brook-Krasny by just over 1,000 votes in 2024. “I mean, we’re used to it,” McCreight said. He explained that his campaign relies on local volunteers and community groups. He has worked with the Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats and Brooklyn Young Democrats to organize canvassing and phone banks.

DeCillis, who is facing Malliotakis, said his campaign is making up for a lack of funding with manpower. He has used hundreds of volunteers for mass canvassing events and targeted advertisements. “I like the way we’re doing it now because, not that I would turn down $8 million, but I think that what we’re seeing is that the level of enthusiasm and engagement is absolutely off the charts,” DeCillis said. He credited Peña and New Kings Democrats for helping host canvasses and amplifying his message. He criticized the county party’s current leadership for drawing attention away from the race through litigation.

Not all candidates share the same experience. Cohen-Saban, running in AD-45, said he has received substantial support from the county party. He lost to incumbent Michael Novakhov by 232 votes in 2024. “The support in that race really, from the very, very beginning, was Rodneyse,” Cohen-Saban said. Bichotte Hermelyn helped introduce him to local stakeholders and connected him with the state assembly campaign committee. He described her help as essential for a first-time candidate who lacked name recognition and local knowledge.

With early voting underway, the party has not resolved its legal issues. The five candidates continue their campaigns, relying on a mix of institutional help and grassroots organization to compete in districts that have become increasingly competitive for Democrats.