A court battle over control of the Brooklyn Democratic Party could determine who leads the organization this fall, after reform-minded district leaders challenged a rule change that could affect the party’s upcoming leadership election, according to Patch.com.
The dispute involves 22 district leaders who won seats in June and backed Julio Peña III to replace current Brooklyn Democratic Party Chair Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn.
If the group maintains its majority, it could control the party’s executive committee and potentially elect Peña as chair. Party leadership also has influence over rules, endorsements and the process for selecting Democratic judicial candidates.
“What we are looking at is an issue of a subversion of democracy,” Mark Hanna, the attorney representing the reformers, told the judge.
Before the newly elected district leaders could take office, Bichotte Hermelyn and her allies approved a plan to expand the executive committee to more than 68 members. Reformers argue the change could prevent them from taking control despite winning a majority of district leader seats.
The dispute is significant because the Brooklyn Democratic Party plays a role in the selection of Democratic nominees for certain judicial races. The case, however, concerns the party’s internal organization rather than a general-election ballot measure.
At a hearing Tuesday before New York Supreme Court Justice Jill Epstein, attorneys for the reformers argued that state election law prevented outgoing district leaders from approving the changes after the June primary. The party’s attorneys argued that the existing county committee retains legal authority until the newly elected committee holds its organizational meeting.
The court has not yet ruled on the broader challenge. State law requires county committees to organize between Sept. 17 and Oct. 6 following a June primary.
The Brooklyn Democratic Party has scheduled its organizational meeting for Sept. 23. Members are expected to conduct party business and elect officers during the meeting. The leadership election must take place by Oct. 6.
Until then, the existing committee retains legal authority, leaving the party’s leadership structure unresolved as the court challenge continues.
