After Jumaane Williams won last Tuesday's election as public advocate, Central Brooklyn residents soon can head to polls again to select who will fill his newly vacated City Council seat.
Williams represented the 45th District, which includes Flatbush, East Flatbush, Flatlands, Midwood and Marine Park, since 2009. A group of potential candidates has already emerged, reports Patch.
Among them are Williams' Deputy Chief Farah Louis, who previously served as a communications representative for then-Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, State Senator Kevin Parker and Assemblywoman Rodneyse Bichotte; U.S. Marine Corps Veteran and Black Lives Matter Brooklyn President Anthony Beckford; Monique Waterman, founder/CEO of social service nonprofit East Flatbush Village, Inc., and former BP Marty Markowitz campaign consultant Xamayla Rose, who co-founded the Christopher Rose Community Empowerment Campaign, an organization dedicated to fighting youth violence.
Other candidates who consider throwing their hat in the ring are Esther Adina Miles Sash, aka social media personality FlatbushGirl, who ran for district leader of the 45th District in 2018; architect Louis Cespedes, who might give it a second try after the 2017 primaries, and attorney Anthony Alexis.
So far, Louis is considered an early front-runner, said Jerry Krase, professor emeritus at Brooklyn College and a historian of the borough, to City & State.
"Louis would seem to be an early favorite to replace Williams," said Krase. "Given his popularity and the amount of coverage he's been getting, his deputy would have the in on the district."
Mayor Bill de Blasio is expected to set a date for the special election in the coming weeks.
