G.O.P. Gains Strength on N.Y. City Council, as a Democrat Breaks Ranks

[brooklynite]

New York Times

As a first-term Democrat on the New York City Council, it might seem logical that Ari Kagan would want to curry favor with his party, which has an overwhelming majority within the 51-member body. Instead, he did the politically unthinkable this month: He switched parties to join the Council’s five other Republicans.

For Mr. Kagan, who represents a district in South Brooklyn that is becoming more conservative, the move might be to his political advantage when he seeks re-election next year — even if it means a loss of power and influence on the Council. But Mr. Kagan said that he believed that the Democratic Party, especially in New York, had drifted too far to the left.

“It’s not me leaving the Democratic Party,” Mr. Kagan said. “The Democratic Party started to leave me.”

Across New York City, where Democrats outnumber Republicans seven to one, there are signs of Republicans making inroads. In the most recent midterm elections, every county in the city voted more Republican than it did in the 2020 presidential election, and three Democratic members of the State Assembly lost to Republicans in South Brooklyn.

[secondwind]

1. ....

[bucolic_frolic]

2. Every time broad based populations start to make progress

greed and self-interest rears its head somewhere. Economic equality vs. pure competition. Old as society itself.

[samplegirl]

3. Greed

[JHB]

4. Translation: "It's 100% me leaving the Democratic Party, but I'm too chicken to say so."

[Zambero]

5. More Trump! More Santos!

Herschel, Kari! Hey, I'm ON BOARD with these people!

[lame54]

7. Democratic votes didn't leave him