How the Queens Democratic Party Machine is Entrenching Power

Political parties are charged with the often under-appreciated yet critical role of vetting their candidates.

On July 24, recent St. John’s law graduate, Sam Berger, 25,announced his candidacy for Assembly District 27 followingformer Assemblymember Daniel Rosenthal’s resignation. Berger faces Republican, David Hirsch, a Rabbi, in the upcoming September 12th special election to represent Kew Gardens Hills, Pomonok, Electchester, Whitestone and College Point.

Previous reporting showcased the opaque and insider process the Queens Democratic Party undertook toward Mr. Berger’sselection as the Democratic Party nominee underpinned by adeal made between Mr. Berger’s mother, Paula Berger, a party district leader, and fellow district leader Simon Pelman, a major Queens Democratic Party financial backer and nursing home executive.

Mr. Berger’s campaign website notes that as a law student, he completed internships with the King’s County Surrogate’s Court and the Queens County Supreme Court giving him an “understanding of the impact violent crime has on communities and families.” It also mentions his study abroad experience in Israel. Community organizational affiliations and accomplishments are not found. If elected, Mr. Berger could serve for decades in the seat given the power of incumbency. There has not been a contested election in Assembly District 27 in the last ten years. To date there have not been any debates or candidate forums between Mr. Berger and Mr. Hirsch.

On July 17, before Mr. Berger’s nomination, the local longstanding JFK Democratic Club published a rare statement in support of Jeff Kohn, 37, to stand as the party nominee given his longstanding community advocacy, public service experience and knowledge of the community. The now deleted statement was addressed to local area elected officials including Queens Democratic Party Chair and Congressmember Gregory Meeks.
The competitive race has brought Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie to campaign alongside Mr. Berger and other Democratic Party elected officials including Congressmember Gregory Meeks and Assemblymember Andrew Hevesi at a campaign kickoff on August 2nd. At the kickoff, Congressmember Gregory Meeks, according to reporting, made clear the close race made it such that “[w]e’re going to have to work hard and spend a lot of money on this race.” Speaker Heastie reportedly remarked that he could always count on former Assemblymember Rosenthal’s vote implying the same will be true for Mr. Berger, regardless of the district’s needs and views. Recent campaign finance disclosures indicate the Assembly Democratic Campaign Committee, controlled by Speaker Heastie, has contributed $30,000 to Mr. Berger’s campaign with an additional $3,000 from Speaker Heastie’s Political Action Committee. The District has trended Republican in recent elections.

How could the process for vetting and selecting candidates be strengthened? The Queens Democratic Party is composed of party officials called county committee members who take an active role in party affairs. A more open and democratic process would entail convening these members to determine the party nominee by way of discussion and a majority vote.
In a moment when our democracy faces unprecedented challenge, candidate vetting processes lacking openness, transparency, and integrity damage the party’s ability to win back areas it has lost and collective faith in the democratic process itself.