Bay Ridge, Brooklyn is an Italian-Irish blue-collar neighborhood in southwestern Brooklyn. Bay Ridge for years has been dominated right-wing leadership, from the neighborhood voting overwhelmingly for Rudy Giuliani in 1989, 1993, and 1997 for NYC mayor, it's represented by Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis (R-Staten Island/Bay Ridge), who represents a swath of Staten Island, State Senator Martin Golden (R-Bay Ridge), is facing investigation over his campaign finances, and it's represented in Congress by no other than Daniel Donovan, who was the prosecutor in the Eric Garner case, who failed to indict Officer Daniel Pantaleo for chokehold murder.
However, Bay Ridge is represented by councilman Vincent Gentile, the former Democratic nominee for NY-11, who lost to Donovan last week in a low turnout special election, and by Assemblyman Alec-Brook Krasny.
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Bay Ridge can be fought at a progressive level. I know there is a lot of Giuliani-style old-school 1989/1993 voters in Bay Ridge, and areas surrounding it that can be too conservative, even too resentful. I know some of them. It can be tough persuading them. I've tried. I've tried doing it in places around 86th Street, 95th street, and at times, exhausted, I gave up. I was tired, worn out. But I didn't back down. However, that does not mean Democrats should give up fighting for Bay Ridge.
Democrats can perform well in Bay Ridge. I know Bay Ridge. It's a tough area of NYC, and they will be part of America's comeback. President Obama has done his best, and so has De Blasio. Mayor de Blasio should visit areas like Bay Ridge more. Mobilize. Organize. If you want to have a mark on politics, campaign in places that can be hostile. Fight. Mobilize.
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