The Republican Party in New York is setting its sights on a state Senate district in Brooklyn, a stronghold of Orthodox Jewish voters who have shown significant support for President Donald Trump in recent years.
This comes as the Democratic Party grapples with accusations of antisemitism from certain factions within its ranks.
The district in question, located in the predominantly conservative and Orthodox Jewish areas of southern Brooklyn, is set to hold elections on Tuesday to replace former Democratic New York state Sen. Simcha Felder, who stepped down in April.
The race is expected to draw voters who perceive the Democratic Party as being lenient on antisemitism, potentially swaying them towards the GOP. The Democrats have put forward Sam Sutton, a local Sephardic Jewish community activist, while the Republicans have chosen attorney Nachman Caller, who also has the endorsement of New Yorks Conservative Party.
According to the Daily Caller, the vacant 22nd district encompasses Borough Park and Midwood, neighborhoods known for their substantial Haredi Jewish communities and strong support for Trump, despite being located in the predominantly Democratic Brooklyn. The New York Post reported that Trump won the district in 2024 against Democratic nominee Kamala Harris, securing 77% of the vote.
Trump's victory margin in the district has seen a steady increase over the last three election cycles, coinciding with allegations of antisemitism against several high-profile far-left members of the Democratic Party.
Data from Daves Redistricting App (DRA) shows that Trump won 70% and 62% of the vote in 2020 and 2016, respectively. In 2022, Lee Zeldin, the Republican gubernatorial nominee who is Jewish, won over 80% of the vote in the district, as per DRA data.
Despite the district's strong GOP leanings in presidential and statewide elections, Democrats maintain a significant voter registration advantage, outnumbering Republicans by more than two to one. As of February 20, nearly half (49.5%) of the 22nd district's active voters were registered Democrats, 23.6% were Republicans, and 24.7% were not affiliated with any party, according to data from the New York State Board of Elections.
Dov Hikind, a former Democrat-turned-Republican New York state Assemblyman who represented many of the heavily Orthodox Jewish communities now in the 22nd district for 35 years, expressed his support for Caller. "The Democratic Party has been an absolute disaster for the Jewish people," Hikind said, adding, "You have betrayed us. You have not been there for us."
Hikind, who represented parts of Brooklyn from 1983 until his retirement in 2018 and founded Americans Against Antisemitism, underscored the importance of a Republican victory in the district amidst the rise of antisemitic violence in recent years.
While he acknowledged Sutton as a "good guy," he criticized his affiliation with the Democratic Party and noted that Hasidic groups in the district are rallying against Sutton due to his party affiliation.
Both Caller and Sutton have made combating antisemitism a key focus of their campaigns. Sutton's campaign, in an April 27 Instagram post, listed "fighting antisemitism with zero tolerance" as one of his top priorities. He also expressed his unwavering support for Israel and his opposition to defunding the police, positions that set him apart from many of his Democratic colleagues. Caller's campaign website also highlighted the need to address the recent surge in antisemitic incidents across the U.S.
The Senate special election has seen both candidates receive endorsements from federal lawmakers from their respective parties. Republican New York Reps. Elise Stefanik and Mike Lawler have backed Caller, while Democratic New York Rep. Ritchie Torres has endorsed Sutton, as reported by the Post.
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