This column, from the weekly opinion piece MATTER OF FACT, first appeared on BrooklynReporter.com, the Home Reporter and Spectator dated November 3, 2023
There is no doubt that the 2023 election is a much quieter one than most years, with far less for voters to select on the ballot and many constituents not fully aware of this year’s election. With the exception of a few judicial contests and two ballot proposals, the only major vote New Yorkers get to cast this year is for who will represent them in the city council.
Voter turnout in races like this are inevitably low and can be quite unpredictable. Making sure that their core voters realize that there is an election and how important it is, is the main focus for council candidates. In southern Brooklyn, one of the few competitive council races is now underway, with early voting running through Sunday, November 5 and Election Day being Tuesday, November 7.
Following the redistricting process last year, the newly drawn 47th council district included Bay Ridge, which Councilman Brannan currently represents, and Coney Island, which Councilman Kagan currently represents. This has led to the rare instance where two incumbents are facing off against each other.
When Brannan and Kagan were last elected two years ago – with Brannan first having been elected in 2017 – they were both Democrats, as they had been for their entire political careers in brooklyn, but Kagan jumped to the Republican party less than a year ago, just after the redistricting process formalized these new district lines. This may be a sleepy election cycle, but for constituents of this district, it is imperative they do not sleep on it and ensure they get out and cast their vote for Brannan.
Southern Brooklyn is an outlier in the borough, in that we routinely see competitive elections between Democrats and Republicans, with extremely close races that have broken for candidates for each party. From Bay Ridge to Coney Island and all points in between, the political map is not solid blue, as is the case in most portions of Brooklyn.
When Brannan was first elected in 2017, he won by less than 800 votes. Two years ago, he was reelected by a margin of 601 votes. In this area, the phrase “every vote counts” is not just a trite cliche; it is a hard reality. This race, once again, will be close. Without a marquee race, like mayor or governor or president at the top of the ticket, history tells us that turnout will be down. History also tells us that if Democrats show up, Brannan will win. His history of getting things done for his constituents makes it clear that he is the councilmember this district needs.
When Brannan first ran in 2017, one of the few bold, outright promises he made was to get a new school in Bay Ridge, where DOE district 20 has been one of the most overcrowded in the city. In his first two years in office, Brannan secured two new schools, and after six years as a councilman, there are now a total of seven confirmed and on their way to the area. During Kagan’s two years in office, there have been no such developments, but an apples-to-apples comparison shows Brannan has announced three new schools during the same 2022-2023 term.
Across Brannan’s district, you regularly see announcements and updates about parks and playgrounds that have been approved for complete upgrades or are reopening after completion of much-needed renovations after decades of stagnation. He has brought tens of millions of dollars back into his district for these refurbishments, while constituents of Kagan’s often plead for safety hazards in their playgrounds to be temporarily patched up, seemingly resigned to the fact that that is the best they can hope for in their long-neglected public spaces.
As Brannan has pointed out, those high-profile races that are not on the ticket this cycle may get a lot of attention and drive voters out to the polls, but it is at the local level where constituents are able to interface directly with their elected representative and get help on the everyday issues they face in their daily lives here in southern Brooklyn. Brannan excels at that. Whether it is people stopping into his district office with a problem or someone tagging him in a Facebook post about an issue they are grappling with, he is well-known for how responsive he and his staff are. Simply put, the guy is everywhere, getting involved in everything for everyone.
Brannan will continue to bring this level of public service, as well as millions of dollars in funding, to the community and constituents of his current district that remain in the new 47th district. He will also do the same for the new parts of this district, including Coney Island, which will find, in Brannan, an effective and responsive advocate they have not had the past two years. If people who will vote for Brannan make sure they get out to cast that vote, he will win and this district will have the right person serving them. Make sure to get out there, vote, and make that happen.
