Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries, running to represent Howard Beach and parts of Brooklyn in Congress, also rallied with the support Queens Democrats on Cross Bay Boulevard. Congressman Joe Crowley, left, and State Assemblyman Joe Addabbo, right, flanked him at the event. Forum Newsgroup photo by Luis Gronda.
With the June 26 primary less than a week away, Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries picked up several endorsements from Queens elected officials and community leaders ahead of the race against Councilman Charles Barron for the 8th Congressional district.
The three politicians that gave Jeffries their support are Congressman Joe Crowley, Senator Joe Addabbo and Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder.
Jeffries is running in the newly formed 8th Congressional district, which is mostly comprised of Brooklyn, but also contains Howard Beach and a silver of Ozone Park. The seat went up for grabs after Congressman Ed Towns announced he would retire after his term ended.
Each of the politicians talked about why they felt Jeffries is the best candidate to fill the seat.
For Crowley, who is also the chair of the Queens County Democrats, one of the reasons that he is giving his support to Jeffries is because he has a strong reputation of working with his colleagues in government.
“That is something that is strongly and desperately needed in Washington today,” he said at a press conference announcing the endorsements in front of Cross Bay Diner in Howard Beach on Friday, June 15. “Not only working with democrats, but working with republicans to get our country moving in the right direction.”
Addabbo said that Jeffries is well respected and praised his work ethic as his main reasons for supporting him.
“Up in Albany, it’s quite rare to find someone that has a really hard work ethic and, more importantly, is respected amongst others,” he said.
Goldfeder said that, as one of the newest members of the state assembly, he looked to Jeffries for guidance and he sees how hard he’s worked representing the 57th District in Brooklyn, where he has been since 2007.
“I am so confident that he would be such a great representative, not just for any one neighborhood or borough,” he said. “Hakeem would really make sure that he focused on every part of his district including the great neighborhoods that I have the luxury of representing.”
Jeffries also got a chance to say a few words at the event.
He said that although it’s a big district, it stretches from Howard Beach to Bedford-Stuyvesant and down to Coney Island. He found that there are common issues that all the residents in the district are concerned about, including crime and education.
“Everyone cares about safe streets and keeping public safety the best that it can be,” Jeffries said. “Everyone cares about good schools, making sure that our children have the best opportunity at success.”
Responding to a question of “racial tension” in the Howard Beach area, Jeffries said that this election is a chance to show how New York City has changed over the years.
“The fact that you could have a congressional district that includes Bedford-Stuyvesant and Howard Beach,” he said. “I believe that we could bring everyone together to work in our collective best interests.”
Michael Griffith, a 23-year-old who was a resident of Bedford-Stuyvesant, was killed in 1986 after an altercation at New Park Pizzeria on Cross Bay Boulevard between three black men and a group of white youths led to Griffith being hit by a car and killed on Shore Parkway as he was trying to run away from the group, who were armed with baseball bats.
Crowley, referring to the incident that a reporter mentioned, said that the incident happened almost 26 years ago and Howard Beach, New York City and the entire country, has changed since then.
“I think the election of Hakeem is just another example of the positive growth in this community,” Crowley said.
Other Queens Democrats that showed their support included Democratic district leaders Frank Gulluscio and Lew Simon and Community Board 10 chairwoman Betty Braton.
The Democratic primary election, which includes the race between Jeffries and Barron for the 8th Congressional District, will be on June 26.
By Luis Gronda
