Ola Alabi (Photo: Amy Sara Clark/fortgreene.patch.com)
Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries is on his way to Congress, and the campaign to succeed him is taking an increasingly high profile. The latest endorsement to arrive, DC37, the public employees union with the largest membership in New York City, formally backed district leader Ola Alabi for the position this afternoon.
“DC37 is proud to continue our partnership with Olanike Alabi and endorse her for the New York State Assembly – 57th Assembly District,” the union said in a statement. “Ms. Alabi is a dedicated public servant who has shown unmatched commitment to social justice as she has worked closely with our union of 120,000 members and retirees and the people of her community.”
DC37 joins the grocery workers union UFCW and the Correction Officers Benevolent Association in backing Ms. Alabi, but her main opponent, fellow District Leader Walter Mosley, has rolled out plenty of his own support too. Earlier this afternoon, Public Advocate Bill de Blasio endorsed Mr. Mosley on the steps of City Hall, and elected officials in the district—notably Mr. Jeffries himself and Councilwoman Tish James—have also backed him.
“There’s nothing more significant that I could do today than to announce that Walter Mosley is the best candidate to serve as your next assemblyman here in this community,” Mr. Jeffries announced when he backed Mr. Mosley earlier this week.
Of course, DC37 also made a splash when it backed Mr. Jeffries’ outspoken opponent, Charles Barron, during his unsuccessful congressional primary campaign earlier this summer. Mr. Barron’s most notable other endorser during that race, incumbent Congressman Ed Towns, might be expected to back Ms. Alabi, currently in his employ, as well, which would create a couple of similar battle lines for the September 13th race to replace Mr. Jeffries in the State Legislature.
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