Alec Brook-Krasny, First Russian-American Assemblyman, To Resign On July 7

Looks like we might have another special election on our hands.

Assemblyman Alec Brook-Krasny, the first Soviet-born member of the state legislature, plans to resign from office this summer to accept a job in the private sector, which will likely spark a political scramble for his vacant seat, as was first reported by Kings County Politics.

The assemblyman, whose district includes parts of Dyker Heights, Bensonhurst, Coney Island, and Brighton Beach, confirmed to the Brooklyn Eagle today that he would tender his resignation on July 7 — well after the Assembly concludes its legislative session this month.

Though Brook-Krasny said he was not ready to discuss the reason for his departure or where he would be working, sources told the Brooklyn Eagle that the assemblyman’s motivations are financial:

But a source close to Brook-Krasny told the Eagle that the lawmaker is leaving office to take a high-paid position with a medical supply company. While the source wouldn’t disclose the salary, she said the new job would allow Brook-Krasny to make more money than he does as a member of the New York State Assembly, where members earn $79,500 a year.

“He and his wife have kids in college,” the source said.

Brook-Krasny has been hailed in Russian-American circles as an immigrant success story. In 1989, he moved to New York from Moscow, where he had earned a bachelor’s degree from the Moscow Institute of Consumer Technology. After launching a successful business, a children’s entertainment center in Brighton Beach called Fun-O-Rama, he began to participate more in communal and civic life.

He ran for State Assembly in 2000, becoming the first Russian-speaking American to run for public office. He lost to the party-backed candidate, but set a city record for the largest number write-in votes, according to his bio on the New York State Assembly’s website.

In 2001, Brook-Krasny ran for City Council and received The New York Times’ endorsement, but ultimately lost the Democratic Primary to Domenic Recchia Jr. That same year, he founded The Council of Jewish Émigré Community Organizations (COJECO), a central coordinating body for 42 community-based, Russian-speaking émigré organizations in New York.

In 2006, when Democrat Adele Cohen decided not to seek re-election, Brook-Krasny ran for the 46th Assembly District seat and won by a slim margin against local activist Ari Kagan. Last year, he successfully defeated Republican challenger Stamatis Lilikakis, receiving 58.3 percent of the vote, with Lilikakis getting 41.7 percent.