Passions run high at Bed-Stuy state election debates

A large crowd of Brooklynites packed into the Magnolia Tree Earth Center in Bedford-Stuyvesant on May 30 to hear political candidates in two state races in the 56th Assembly District and the 25th Senate District ahead of the primaries.

These specific state and assembly races in the heart of historic Black Brooklyn have broken down so far into political “factions,” the progressive socialists versus old school Democrats versus unaffiliated newcomers. Although not running directly against one another, Zinerman’s and Brisport’s rivalry has extended into each other’s races. Each candidate has chosen to back the other’s opponent, and had a large vocal group of supporters that showed up to the debates.

“I have a coalition of people who are homeowners, who are tenants, who are NYCHA residents, who are seniors, who are young people, and our new neighbors, who love Bed-Stuy,” said Zinerman. “They believe, like I do, that there’s a vibrancy in this place. It’s about family, and it’s about community, and they want to stay. I want them to stay, but I also will do everything I can to hold the line of making sure that the people who built this are actually here to receive the rewards of what has been built.”

Brisport and fellow progressive Eon Tyrell Huntely didn’t drop out of the debates, but did arrive late.

“It’s been an honor to be your senator for the past several years, so I’m looking forward to as many more as you will have me,” said Brisport. In each debate, the candidates introduced their platforms, which are listed below.

State Senate District 25

Senate District 25, which was redistricted in 2023, covers neighborhoods like Bedford-Stuyvesant, Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Brooklyn Navy Yard, Brownsville, and Ocean Hill. Brisport was elected to represent District 25 in 2020 with the backing of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). His main opponent, according to the New York State Board of Elections, is community organizer and Democrat Marlon Rice, who is supported by Zinerman. Rice ventured into the world of politics last year when he announced his campaign.

Brisport’s platform:

• Huge proponent of universal childcare and afterschool programming as a former public school teacher.
• Helped push for the criminalization of deed theft. Wants to remove the statute of limitations on deed theft cases, and has drafted three other bills to require proof of sale if a person were trying to claim the title to a home, to allow county clerks to pause and flag suspected deed theft, and to make it easier for victims of deed theft to sue.
• His support of the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA), the Housing Access Voucher Program (HAVP), the Good Cause Eviction bill, and the ‘tax the rich’ movement.
• Spoke about passing Mel’s Law in October 2023 for Melquain (Mel) Jatelle Anderson, a victim of gun violence.
• Agrees that there should be rent stabilization for small businesses.

Rice’s platform:

• Promoted education and workshops among homeowners about guardianship, conservatorship, heirship, foreclosure, third-party mortgages, and how to stop deed theft.
• That homeownership is a central mechanism of disrupting displacement and reforming Area Median Income (AMI) standards.
• As a father of three, he is also a huge advocate for after-school education and opening school buildings late in the evening for young adult programming.
• Wants to put energy and utility costs caps on small businesses.
• Agrees that mental health and healthcare should be prioritized.
• Being intentional about fixing NYCHA and community centers in public housing.

“We got to be intentional about being reparative in Black communities, and that comes from a solid Black agenda,” said Rice. “We can’t just give it lip service.”

State Assembly District 56

Assembly District 56 was also restructured in 2023 to cover Bedford-Stuyvesant, from Nostrand Avenue to Broadway and from Flushing Avenue to a few blocks into Crown Heights. Zinerman was elected in her district in 2020. She has two main challengers to her seat. Huntley, who’s running on the Working Families Party (WFP) line, and Democrat Michael Bailey, II. Esq. Huntley ran against the incumbent and narrowly lost in 2024. This time he also has the firm backing of Brisport and Councilmember Chi Ossé.

Zinerman platform:

• Wants to cap rising costs for transit and address the mental health crisis and public safety issues in the subway by putting trained responders in booths.
• Invested $10 million in 2026 in the long-term reimagining of the Marcus Garvey Armory.
• Mentioned an alleged discrepancy about how long Huntley lived in Bed-Stuy. He maintained he’s been in the neighborhood for 17 years.
• Spoke about maintaining funding for several local nonprofits, like the B.R.O. Experience Foundation, and an incubation program with her discretionary monies. Also, worked with the NYS Black legislative task force to secure $30 million for nonprofits.
• State-of-the-art training center for Bed-Stuy Volunteer Ambulance Corp that will house a birthing center to combat Black maternal morbidity

Huntley’s platform:

• As a commuter and retail worker, he wants to use investments from the tax the rich movement towards improving the buses and trains.
• Would support Brisport’s deed theft bills, an eviction moratorium on deed theft cases, and committed to supporting Zinerman’s anti-deed theft bills as well.
• Co-founder of a food distribution nonprofit to combat food insecurity.
• Huge proponent of the tax the rich movement.

Bailey’s platform:

• Against excessive arrests for fare evasion on trains and buses.
• Believes the district is overburdened with many homeless shelters.
• Believes housing courts and judges are “fiefdoms” that are not doing enough to prevent deed theft when they encounter cases.
• More severe penalties for child abusers.
• Solutions over suspensions in schools.

“We don’t love living in a state where we have to worry about people under threat, homeowners who’ve done everything right, seemingly right by the system, yet they’re still under threat of displacement,” said Huntley. “I realized that this is the system working as designed. I realized that this, this despair that I was feeling, this is how the status quo is maintained. How the rich, the billionaires, the corporations, the special interests, and the politicians they keep in place, they rely on that despair.”


Bed-Stuy’s District Leaders

Additionally, the political “factions” among Black leadership extend to the heated district leaders race happening in Bed-Stuy. Two were present at the debates this past weekend.

Democratic District Leaders for the 56th Assembly District are Henry Butler, the former president of Vanguard Independent Democratic Association (VIDA) and the Brooklyn Democratic Party Executive Committee Vice-Chair, and entrepreneur Kenésha Traynham-Cooper, aligned with Zinerman and Rice. While Huntley and Bailey seem to be supporting Stop Deed Theft Coalition’s Carmella Charrington and fellow district leader candidate Omar Hardy, who are newcomers running with hopes to change the status quo and displacement in their communities.

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