Crown Heights Council Candidate Crystal Hudson Unveils Endorsements from Local Tenant and Community Leaders

Crystal Hudson, a leading candidate in the competitive race to represent Crown Heights and nearby neighborhoods in the City Council, announced endorsements from eight local community leaders today, including tenant association presidents, activists and a prominent pastor.

Hudson is running to replace her former boss, term-limited Council Member Laurie Cumbo, in the seat for Council District 35, which also includes Fort Greene, Prospect Heights, and parts of Bedford-Stuyvesant.

The endorsees include Beverly Newsome, tenant president of the Ebbets Field Houses and a former district leader candidate who has clashed with building workers in her push for stronger rent regulations.

Also notable is the endorsement of Reverend Rashad Raymond Moore, a pastor at Crown Heights’ First Baptist Church. Moore voiced strong support last year for a controversial rezoning at 960 Franklin Avenue, putting him at odds with Hudson on the issue. Nevertheless, in a statement announcing the endorsement, Moore called Hudson a “strong, principled” leader and cited police reform as a key concern.

“Black New Yorkers in particular have faced disproportionate loss during this pandemic and the ongoing systemic injustice at the hands of the police,” Moore said. “Crystal has a bold, comprehensive plan to protect Black New Yorkers and build a stronger future for all of us.”

Other endorsees include Perri Blackmore, president of the Tivoli Towers Tenants Association; Mildred Ross, president of the Bedford-Union-Franklin Block Association; Brooklyn Community Board 8 vice chair Gail Branch-Muhammad; plant nursery owner and activist Deborah Young; the Board of Directors at the 35 Crown Street co-op building; and Pat Baker, President of the Retirees Chapter 10 & 11 of the New York State Public Employees Federation and a former Community Board 9 chair.

(All the candidates listed are endorsing Hudson in their personal capacity—not as representatives of their respective organizations.)

“I’m proud to have the support of these tireless tenant leaders and community advocates from Crown Heights and ready to keep working alongside them as we build a stronger, more equitable future for our neighborhoods,” Hudson said.

Campaign finance disclosures show Hudson locked in a tight race with fellow progressive Michael Hollingsworth, a tenant activist. The two have split the most of the race’s major endorsements: Hudson has the backing of notable unions, including the Hotel Trades Council, the United Federation of Teachers and 32BJ SEIU, while Hollingsworth has the support of the NYC Democratic Socialists of America and several DSA-affiliated politicians, like State Senators Jabari Brisport and Julia Salazar.

Also running for the seat are Green Earth Poets Cafe founder Curtis Harris; former district leader Renee Collymore; special education teacher Deirdre Levy; Community Board 8

Vice chair Regina Kinsey; and block association president Hector Robertson.