City Council member Alan Gerson was endorsed this afternoon by Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer. During a rally on Greenwich Street, several other political leaders and organizations lined up to support him, including three fellow City Council members and the United Federation of Teachers. Gerson is running for a third term against four challengers in the September 15th Democratic Primary.
Two of his opponents, Pete Gleason and Arthur Gregory showed up at today's rally. Gerson and Gregory exchanged pleasantries – Gerson even asked for his endorsement. Gleason, however, was run off by District Leader David Reck before the event got underway.
City Council members Gale Brewer, Jessica Lappin and Dan Garodnick joined Stringer in endorsing Gerson, as did Justin Yu, represnting the Chinatown Consolidated Benevolent Association. Gerson is competing for support in Chinatown with Margaret Chin, who has been a community organizer and affordable housing advocate downtown for many years.
Gleason was run off by a District Leader? Isn’t the Council supposed to work with community leaders? Not run away from them? Sounds like a real leader to me.