General

Recchia not running for beep

January 30, 2013 Helen Klein

BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP/file photo

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City Councilmember Domenic Recchia, who was reportedly interested in running for Brooklyn borough president, has decided not to seek the position, according to political insiders.

Recchia has decided say pundits not to pursue the post, because of lack of support. Having initially aimed at the position of city comptroller, Recchia is said to have recently set his sights on Borough Hall because of the groundswell of support for Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer for the comptroller post.

But, say insiders, he ran into trouble there, in part because of his late start in seeking the position. Many Democratic leaders had already agreed to support another candidate, State Senator Eric Adams, who has been solidifying his position for months.

This, said one source, left him with lukewarm support, at best, in the area where he should have been strongest southwest Brooklyn. He wasnt getting the support from people he thought he would get, the insider said.

This was exacerbated by recently redrawn State Senate lines that extended Adams district into Sunset Park, meaning political powerhouses in that area would be in the position of counting Adams as one of their team, the insider explained.

Add to this the fact that residents of northern and eastern Brooklyn, who already know and are supportive of Adams, are likely to come out strongly to support his candidacy, and you have a scenario that would be discouraging to any candidate, a source stressed.

So, what will Recchia do? One option would be to run for Congress in the 11^th District, comprising portions of southwest Brooklyn as well as all of Staten Island.

The seat is currently occupied by Republican Michael Grimm, who is facing inquiries into some of his associates and fund-raising practices. But, the former occupant of the seat, Staten Islander Michael McMahon, a Democrat who was unseated by Grimm, has expressed interest in running for his old post, say political sources, and at least one insider didnt think that Recchia would challenge McMahon, should he decide to run again, in a Democratic primary.

Recchia could also go back full-time into private practice (he is an attorney), the source said, or, should Christine Quinn be successful in her quest to be the next mayor of New York City, his close ties to her as well as his years as the councils finance chair could land him a deputy mayor slot. But, if he did that, the pundit said, he would have to give up his law practice.

Spokesperson Ashleigh Owens would only say that Recchia is continuing to explore his options. He is not ready to make any announcement. He will make an announcement as soon as he has finished discussions with family, friends and colleagues.