Brooklyn state senator Zellnor Myrie fuelled suspicion that he might be gunning to be the city's mayor after his impassioned speech at the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem church on Sunday.
According to the Gothamist, Myrie, the state senator for the 20th District and chair of the Elections Committee, lamented what he called a perilous state of democracy in response to New York's John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act, which relates to the rights of actions for denying or abridging the right of any member of a protected class to vote, the provision of assistance to language-minority groups and preclearance of voting policies.
Speaking at the church is a right of passage for many political figures in New York.
"Right here in New York, they move polling sites outside of the places for us. Right here in New York, they make fake phone calls telling us not to vote under the protection of the law," he said. Although Myrie has yet to confirm whether he will throw his hat in the ring to run for for mayor next year, the publication cited reports, including by Bloomberg, that he received $1 million for his campaign.
