'The Coachella of Brooklyn'

Brooklyn political bigs will hit the blue carpet Monday night for the Brooklyn Democratic Party’s annual gala – or, as party executive director Yamil Speight-Miller calls it, “the Coachella of Brooklyn.”

VIPs including Mayor Eric Adams, Gov. Kathy Hochul, Attorney General Letitia James, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Rep. Dan Goldman – and plenty more down ballot Democrats – are expected to turn out for the party’s annual fundraiser, held this year at Giando on the Water in Williamsburg, live band and all. The event raises operating funds for the party, Speight-Miller said, though he declined to estimate what this year’s fundraising haul would be.

Last year, the party’s gala came just before a general election for state legislative seats that turned out to be more competitive than some Democrats expected. Republicans ended up flipping several Assembly seats, and some criticized the county party for not doing enough to support Democrats in those races. 

This November, several City Council seats in southern Brooklyn will be among the city’s most competitive races, including the open seat in District 43, where Democrat Susan Zhuang will face Republican Ying Tan. In District 47, incumbents Justin Brannan, a Democrat, and Ari Kagan, a Republican, will face off.

But it’s not just City Council candidates who will be schmoozing at the party. Candidates for Supreme Court will hold court at a VIP reception ahead of the main event, along with other elected officials. “We have six vacancies in the Supreme Court in Brooklyn, we have 16 candidates. It’s very competitive. So all of them are coming out,” Speight-Miller said.

The gala invitation notes that the event is honoring several labor unions and small businesses that “helped with post-pandemic rebuilding.”

And while the upcoming judicial convention and City Council races will likely dominate conversation, it’s never too soon to look to future elections, Speight-Miller said.

“It will be a heavy house for the Brooklyn party,” he said of the expected turnout. “You don’t wait for election year to activate and unify. The work starts now. So while the Supreme Court may be our focus in addition to the council, we have a presidential election to be prepared for next year. The work and the unification of the party does not start in 2024.”