Blake Morris Announces Run For Flatbush Council Seat

Yesterday morning Blake Morris announced in a newsletter to his followers from his run for state senate that he was running to represent the 40th Council District in the City  Council. District 40 includes  Ditmas Park, Flatbush and East Flatbush, Prospect Lefferts Gardens, and bits of Kensington.

District 40 has been the seat of Councilmember Mathieu Eugene, who took over from Yvette Clarke when she became a Congresswoman. By the time he leaves, Eugene will have a legacy of 15 years of mediocre representation by any measure, in a district that has lost affordable housing, and has been subject to rapid development, gentrification, and too many landlords on the Public Advocate’s Worst Landlords list.

There are now six candidates for office: Brian Cunningham who lost to Eugene by just 1,200 votes last time around, Rita Joseph, who currently is on par with Cunningham when it comes to fundraising, Maxi Eugene – Mathieu Eugene’s brother, Kenneth Lee, Josue Pierre – who was going to run against Senator Parker and changed his mind and said he’d run for City Council instead, but he has not filed with the NYC Campaign Finance Board for this race yet, and now Blake Morris.

Morris last ran for office in 2018, when he lost against Senator Simcha Felder in the Senate District 17 – a district that is dominated by Orthodox Jewish constituents and overlaps with the  South-Western parts of the council district.

“The New York City Council is our municipal legislature making laws, policy, and tax and spending decisions that have a direct impact on us. It is time for a change,” he wrote to his supporters asking for donations. “I am asking you to contribute to our campaign today, and join me in this fight for much-needed affordable housing, expanded services for our aging senior population, increased after-school opportunities for our for youth, safer streets and improved rapid transit, and economic support for local businesses.”