Public Advocate’s Race: Who’s Endorsing Whom?

BROOKLYN – Today, Monday, Jan 14, is the last day for Public Advocate candidates to file the required 3,750 signatures which put their names on the ballot for the Feb. 26 special election.

The vacant seat is up for grabs since Letitia James took her place as the state’s Attorney General on Jan. 1, 2019.

As of last week, 10 candidates made the ballot. Several candidates including Ify Ike, Nomiki Konst and Ben Yee are expected to file today. In the meantime, here’s a list of supporters of some of the candidates (spoiler alert, celebs included).

Michael Blake:

Slay The Vote, LGBTQ People of Color, Local 1113 DC37, BAC Local 7 Tile, Marble & Terrazzo, Independent Neighborhood Democrats: IND (Brooklyn)
District Leader Leaders Archie Spigner, Leslie Spigner, Elmer Blackburne, Jacquline Boyce, Bob Simmons, Valerie West, June Bunch, John Zaccaro,
State Committee Members Leroy Manual, Ann Wilkinson, Dorita Clarke, Joseph McManus
Elmer H. Blackburne Democratic Club (Queens), Thurgood Marshall Regular Democratic Club (Queens), Guy R Brewer United Democratic Club (Queens), United for Progress Democratic Club (Queens), Liberty Democratic Club (Bronx),                                       Aleta LaFarge, Manhattan Plaza Tenant Association President
Rev. Terry Melvin, President of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, Secretary-Treasurer of New York State AFL-CIOFormer Lt. Gov. Dick Ravitch, Assembly Members Rebecca Seawright, Tremaine Wright, Jeff Aubry and Nathalia Fernandez, Robert Rodriguez State Senator Luis Sepulveda, City Council Member Rafael Salamanca, Mark GjonajCommunity Leaders Akeem Browder, Maya Wiley, Rev. Dr. Raymond Rivera, DC 37, Local 372, United African Coalition, Bay Ridge Democrats. Oh and Ethan Hawke also gave his support for the candidates via a Twitter testimony.

Rafael Espinal:

Musician Marky Ramone, filmmaker Darren Aronofsky, and Environmental Activist Lauren Singer.

Melissa Mark-Viverito:

Councilwoman Margaret Chin, NYC Councilmember Andy Cohen, NYC Councilmember Mark Levine, NYC Councilmember Diana Ayala, Assemblywoman Catalina Cruz, LGBTQ Activist Melissa Sklarz, Latino Victory Fund, Uniformed Sanitationmen’s Association Local 831, Bangladeshi American Advocacy Group, Diana Reyna, Former-Deputy Brooklyn Borough President, Dr. Wilhelmina Perry, Founder LGBT Faith Leaders of African Descent Mitch Draizin, President, Longview Capital Advisors, Debbie Almontaser, CEO & Founder Bridging Cultures Group Inc., District Leader John Ruiz 68th Assembly District, Amanda Farias State Committeewoman of the 87th Assembly District, Angela Fernandez Executive Director Northern Manhattan Coalition for Immigrant Rights.

Ifeoma “Ify” Ike:

Did not respond before post time. We’ll update.

Ron Kim:

Did not respond before post time, but here’s what’s showing on social. Assemblymember Peter Abbate of Southern Brooklyn, The Lexington Democratic Club and Assemblymembers Dan Quartz and Yuh-Line Niou. Niou was a staffer for Kim before seeking and winning her assembly seat.

Nomiki Konst:

Konst did not respond before post time but this is on social media.

Daniel O’Donnell:

Former Congress Member Charles Rangel, Congress Member Anthony Brindisi, State Senator Liz Krueger, Assembly Member Deborah Glick, Assembly Member Maritza Dávila, Assembly Member Cathy Nolan, Assembly Member Michael Benedetto, County Committee Chair and former Assembly Member Keith Wright, Former Assembly Member Ed Sullivan, Former State Senator Franz Leichter, State Committee Member Dan Cohen, District Leader Cynthia Doty, District Leader Paula Diamond Roman, District Leader Maria Luna, District Leader Marion Bell.

Dawn Smalls:

Will share endorsements further into the election. We’ll update.

Latrice Walker:

U.S. Rep. Yvette Clarke, Councilwoman and Alicka Ampry-Samuel. A host of NYCHA presidents and leaders: Clara Wood  Shirley Williams, Desiree Green, Dwayne Faison, Leonard Jones, Helen Johnson, Miriam Robertson, Naomi Johnson, Christine Burt, Carrie Underwood, Michael Gains, Ciprian Noel, Phyllis Brockett, Jerome Bolden, Evelyn Sanchez, Keith Chase, Karen Caldwell, Yvonne Amette, Serina Lemaza, Ernest Foles, Christine Richards, Cynthia Whitaker, Lisa Kenner, Annette Hamilton, Diane Johnson

Jumaane Williams:

State Sens. Kevin Parker, Roxanne Persaud, Julia Salazar and James Sanders, Assembly members Rodneyse Bichotte, Mathylde Frontus, Walter Mosley, Diana Richardson, Al Taylor, Helene Weinstein and Jamie Williams, New York City Council members Laurie Cumbo, Ben Kallos, Andy King, Brad Lander, Daneek Miller, Antonio Reynoso and Jimmy Van Bramer, former New York City Public Advocate Mark Green, Kings County Democratic Chairman Frank Seddio, former attorney general candidate Zephyr Teachout, actress & activist Alyssa Milano. Organizations: 504 Democratic Club, Brooklyn Progressive Alliance, Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats, Community Voices Heard Power, Four Freedoms Democratic Club, Indivisible Nation Brooklyn, New Kings Democrats, New York Communities for Change, New York Progressive Action Network, North Brooklyn Progressive Democratic Club, Shirley Chisholm Democratic Club, Working Families Party. Labor Unions: 100 Black Construction Workers, Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York, DC 1707, Laborers Local 79, Metallic Lathers Local 46, New York City District Council of Carpenters, New York State LiUNA, Professional Staff Congress-CUNY, Sheet Metal Workers Local 28, SSEU Local 371, UA Local 1.

Eric Ulrich:

The Assemblyman didn’t respond to requests but according to social media, he’s garnered the support from a few Brooklyn celebrities. The Brooklyn GOP is supporting Ulrich.  Manhattan GOP Executive Committee and its Chair Andrea Castimatidis are also throwing their support behind the contender, as well as the Staten Island GOP.

Benjamin Yee:

Village Independent Democrats and One Queens Indivisible.