Brooklyn District 36 City Council Race: Where Things Stand

BED-STUY, BROOKLYN — With five weeks remaining until the June 22 primary elections, the stage is set for candidates in Brooklyn's 36th District to finish the race.

Five Democrats are in the running to replace term-limited Council Member Robert Cornegy Jr., who is vying to become the next Brooklyn borough president. The candidates will face off in the June 22 primary election.

In the coming weeks, Patch will publish the results of question-and-answer forms sent to each candidate, shedding light on each person's policy priorities.

With no polling available for the race, it's impossible to know how each campaign is faring. A look at fundraising and endorsements, however, can provide some clues.

The Candidates

First, a brief recap of who's running in the Democratic primary:

• Henry L. Butler: The current district manager for Bed-Stuy's Community Board 3 and district leader for the 56th Assembly, Butler also ran for the 41st City Council District in 2017.
• Reginald Swiney: Swiney, a business owner, also ran for City Council for District 36 in 2017. Patch could not find a website or social media page with more information.
• Tahirah A. Moore: Moore is a former Brooklyn borough director for the Mayor's Community Affairs Unit and an adviser in the Mayor's Intergovernmental Affairs Unit.
• Chi Ossé: Ossé is an activist and co-founder of the Brooklyn organization Warriors in the Garden, a youth-led collective at the forefront of the revitalization of the Black Lives Matter Movement.
• Robert M. Waterman: A pastor and president of the African American Clergy and Elected Officials Organization of Brooklyn, Waterman is a substitute teacher in Bed-Stuy's District 16 and owns Canticles Sober Lounge.

The Money Race

In terms of finances, the race is tight between four of the five candidates, who all are within $30,000 of each other in combined public and private funding, the latest filings show.

Leading the pack is Ossé, with a combined $218,963, including $160,444 in matching public funds.

Nearly 20 percent of Ossé's private donations have come from outside New York City, the most of any candidate in the race, according to an interactive map outlining contributions. The map also reveals that he has had the most individual donations — more than 1,100 people have donated to his campaign compared to between 300 and 400 for the other front-runners.

Butler is in second place both for total funding and private donations. He also received $160,444, the maximum amount of public funding and a total of $207,835 in combined public and private money.

In third place is Waterman, who has raised $44,000 in private donations and received 160,206 in public funding for a combined total of $204,379.

Moore has raked in just under $190,000 with about $33,000 in private donations and $156,978 of public funding, the records show.

Swiney has raised just $1,200 and has received no public money.

Who's Endorsing Who

Ossé has the longest list of endorsements, including some celebrity backers like rapper Killer Mike and Broad City actress Ilana Glazer.

He and Moore share endorsements from a few organizations, including the Working Families Party, The Jewish Vote and Citizen Action! Of New York. Moore also lists the New York Progessive Action Network and a current city council member on her line-up.

In Butler's corner are several labor unions, including the New York State Nurses' Association, 32BJ and the United Federation of Teachers.

Waterman lists several local businesses, community figures and elected officials, including U.S. Rep. Yvette Clarke and Assembly Member Latrice Walker.

Patch could not find any information about Swiney's endorsements.

The open seat in District 35 is one of more than 30 across the city, as term limits will install new members in nearly two-thirds of the City Council's 51 seats.

Patch will have ongoing coverage of the City Council race ahead of the June 22 primary, including candidate responses to the issues raised in our neighborhood survey.

To stay up to date and receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts, make sure you're subscribed to Crown Heights-Prospect Heights Patch or the Bed-Stuy Patch.

Patch reporter Nick Garber contributed to this report.