Brooklyn State Senator Comes Under Fire For Aligning With Republicans

PROSPECT HEIGHTS, BROOKLYN – What do you do if your state senator doesn’t show up to a town hall intended to quiz him on his political loyalties? If you’re NY Indivisible, a grassroots group dedicated to fighting President Trump and Republican policies, you hold a teach-in.

Dozens came to Union Temple of Brooklyn on Thursday night to learn about state Sen. Jesse Hamilton’s controversial decision to join a breakaway group of Democrats allied to Republicans in Albany.

Since the presidential election, many liberal activists throughout the city have directed their anti-Trump anger at the local level, targeting politicians such as Hamilton, whom they view as betraying the Democratic Party.

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He and seven other state senators are part of the Independent Democratic Conference. Members of the group say they have been instrumental to passing stricter gun control, minimum wage increases and New York City's pre-K-for-all program.

Critics, though, point out the IDC is preventing Democrats from attaining the majority in the state Senate and blame members for blocking initiatives such as universal health care and increased funding for city schools.

“Every word that Jesse Hamilton says, including 'Hi, my name is Jesse Hamilton, I’m a progressive Democrat,' is a lie. That’s a lie!” said Gus Christensen, an anti-IDC organizer who previously unsuccessfully ran for state Assembly.

“These are people who were elected as Democrats and have sold their constituents and sold the people of New York down the river for a small bag of silver,” he added, pointing to stipends and perks IDC members get as partners with the ruling Republicans.

Christensen said his group plans to help challengers against all the IDC members in state primaries next year.

An IDC spokeswoman dismissed the event by NY Indivisible, which has nationwide branches formed by ex-staffers for President Barack Obama.

"Senator Hamilton held an event with over a dozen community groups and residents that evening regarding recent sex assaults against women in the community. His constituents take priority over political stunts," Candice Giove said in an email to Patch.

During a panel featuring education and health care activists, Bronx state Sen. Gustavo Rivera stopped short of saying Hamilton should be out of office. But Rivera encouraged the town hall attendees to pressure Hamilton to leave the IDC and rejoin mainstream Democrats like Rivera.

“We need to get stuff done together. The best way to do that is to unify. [The IDC] does not help,” Rivera said.

“If you care about progressive policy in education, in health care, criminal justice, environmental justice, etc., etc., unfortunately, having this arrangement doesn’t make that possible,” Rivera said of the IDC-Republican alliance.

A question-and-answer period after the panel featured several Hamilton supporters who denounced the evening.

“I’m hearing all of the things that you all said Jesse’s not doing,” said a man who gave his name as Ricky. “Talk about some of the things he is doing.”

Other attendees said they either came to learn about the IDC or already had their minds made up against it and Hamilton, who has represented Crown Heights, Prospect Heights and parts of Gowanus and Sunset Park (full district map here) since 2015.

“I totally support removing Jesse Hamilton. I think he’s useless. He’s my state senator,” said Kayla Schwarz, 61, of Prospect Heights. “I agree with the speakers on the stage. The IDC has blocked progressive legislation from coming up.”

Mike Cooke, 28, said he’d come along with a roommate who volunteers for NY Indivisible.

“I’m going to do more research myself,” said the Crown Heights resident. “Definitely after (Trump’s) election, Democrats feel like they need to be more involved.”

Lead image of Thursday night's town hall by Shant Shahrigian/Patch.