Via Capitol Tonight:
A Democratic source has confirmed that Assemblyman David Weprin is going to be the Democrats candidate in the special election for NY-9, the seat that is vacant following Anthony Weiner’s resignation.
Weprin is going to be meeting with Democrats in the district tonight and the paperwork certifying him as the candidate will be filed tomorrow.
The source tells CapTon that Weprin was picked because he is the “most loyal” to the Queens Democratic party — which basically picks the candidate for the special election because close to 70% of the weighted vote is in Queens.
More from Politicker:
The Queens Democratic County Organization just selected David Weprin to be the party’s nominee for the congressional seat vacated by Anthony Weiner.
Weprin is a freshman Assemblywman who served two terms in the City Council as its Finance Chairman before coming in last place in the Democratic primary for City Comptroller in 2009.
His father was Speaker of the Assembly for many years and his brother — a former Assemblyman — now holds David’s seat in the Council. He’s wonky, prone to long explanations about complicated financial matters, and has not carved out a maverick persona for himself, benefiting, rather, from close ties to one of the city’s strongest political machines.
Weprin seems like a strong candidate for us, while the Republicans are left with a quartet of second choices. It also seems like, as is often the case, the Conservative Party will serve as the tail that wags the dog: Queens Conservative chair Tom Long said his party will back 2010 candidate Bob Turner. If the GOP doesn't get behind Turner as well, their already-not-great chances of nabbing this seat will get slimmer.
UPDATE: A good piece showcasing Weprin's lack of fear when it comes to throwing a punch.