Former assemblyman Michael Benjamin, who represented the 79th District before Mr. Stevenson, attacked Mr. Blake in the New York Post this week for taking donations
from allies of ambassador to South Africa (and Mayor Bill de
Blasio confidant) Patrick Gaspard and for unceremoniously dropping several district
leader candidates
from his petitions in order to allegedly win support
from the
party establishment.
In this race Brooklyn Democratic boss Frank Seddio, who took over the
party from embattled ex-Assemblyman Vito Lopez, broke with his fellow county
leaders after pledging to stick together and united his 16 members behind Mark - Viverito at de
Blasio's behest on Wednesday.