In southern Brooklyn, Alec Brook-Krasny and Chris McCreight battle over the meaning of ‘Democrat’

While Democrat Chris McCreight attempts to unseat incumbent Assembly Member Alec Brook-Krasny in southern Brooklyn's District 46, there exists an underlying debate about what it means to be a Democrat.  

After 20 years of Democratic hold, District 46 turned red when Brook-Krasny won in 2022. However, Brook-Krasny wasn’t always Republican – he has a 20-year political resume as a Democrat, including winning five Assembly elections, which ended when he suddenly switched parties in 2022. The switch came after he lost a race for City Council as a Democrat in 2021.

Although District 46 and surrounding districts in southern Brooklyn are competitive and have become increasingly purple, McCreight believes he can restore the district's blue status. In 2020, Biden won the area by a slight margin, with 52% voting for Biden and 48% voting for Trump. 

Despite their difference in parties, Brook-Krasny and McCreight share overlapping support on many local issues. “No matter what party you belong to, it's really the local issues that have nothing to do with party affiliation,” Brook-Krasny said. 

The local issues they support include but are not limited to increasing funding for struggling schools, supporting small businesses, improving NYCHA conditions, increasing affordable housing and the reversal of bail reform. They both want to shut down illegal cannabis shops, with Brook-Krasny taking it a step further by opposing the legalization of cannabis overall. Asked about foreign policy involving the Israel-Hamas war, both candidates have said that Hamas must not control Gaza and that hostages must be freed. 

Brook-Krasny previously represented a version of the district as a Democrat but resigned in 2015 and took a job as CFO of a laboratory clinic. In 2017, he was indicted for being involved in a narcotics “pill mill” scheme. The case went to trial in 2019 and Brook-Krasny was acquitted of some of the charges while others were dropped after a hung jury.  The doctor involved in the scheme was charged with 16 felonies and sentenced to five years in prison. In an interview with City & State, Brook-Krasny said he resigned from office amid a familial crisis regarding his son’s rehabilitation from an opioid addiction. 

Brook-Krasny told City & State that the Democratic Party has changed, not him. An immigrant from the Soviet Union, he said the party is becoming increasingly socialist, alleging that McCreight is a socialist as well. 

“I realized that the Democratic Party just left me,” Brook-Krasny said. “I was a conservative at the time I was a Democrat. I am still a conservative. My opinions about things did not really change… because we have more and more socialism in the Democratic Party, I just don't belong there anymore. At least for now.” 

Nonetheless, Brook-Krasny believes he can appeal to both Democrats and Republicans. “My agenda doesn't really belong to a party. It belongs to common sense. I'm always open and working closely with the Democrats who have common sense, and many of them are still my friends,” Brook-Krasny said.

Brook-Krasny has most recently used his position to advocate for the cancellation of congestion pricing and compensation for the families of essential workers who passed away from COVID-19. In 2023, Brook-Krasny received backlash from Democrats after he made  comments against transgender youth. Locally, Brook-Krasny supports increased public school security and protecting NYPD officers. 

Brook-Krasny told City & State that he has been endorsed by like-minded politicians including state Republican Party Chair Ed Cox, Conservative Party Chair Gerard Kassar, Republican Reps. Nicole Malliotakis and Lee Zeldin and founder of Guardian Angels and former mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa, among others. 

This kind of race is not foreign to McCreight, who works as chief of staff for Democratic City Council Member Justin Brannan. Last year, McCreight helped Brannan with his campaign against Democrat-turned-Republican Ari Kagan for City Council. 

McCreight claims that Brook-Krasny is “out of touch with the district” and that his party switch was “opportunistic.” 

McCreight is a serious challenger, though he’s a first-time candidate. McCreight says he has knocked on about 10,000 doors since February. He raised almost $150,000 for his campaign, including over $83,000 in matching funds, while Brook-Krasny raised almost $117,000, including over $48,000 in matching funds. 

“I'm in a unique position where I live in Bay Ridge, but even before I started working in the council, I worked in Coney Island for about three years in building management. So I know both sides of the district,” McCreight said. 

McCreight criticized Brook-Krasny for not having a sign outside of his office, which could help constituents feel more welcome to voice their concerns. Brook-Krasny responded to these claims and said that he will put up a sign but that he doesn’t think it is “the most important thing” and that many residents know to reach him by cell. 

Former City Council Member Kagan, who also switched his party affiliation to Republican, expressed his support for Brook-Krasny. 

“The Democratic Party of 30 years ago and the Democratic Party of 2024 are two different Democratic Parties,” Kagan said. “He was conservative Democrat, so I was not surprised with his switch. It was not opportunistic whatsoever.” (Brook-Krasny lost to Kagan in a Democratic City Council primary in 2021. Back in 2022 when he was still a Democrat, Kagan had this to say of Brook-Krasny: “He’s a super-duper hypocrite. Lazy. He doesn’t do shit for anybody.”)

McCreight, who is running a mainstream Democratic platform that supports improving public transportation, abortion rights, LGBTQ+ rights, increased gun control, and environmental protection regulation, has hope that he can regain the district’s Democratic hold.

Many politicians are in support of McCreight, including U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer, state Attorney General Letitia James, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, fellow Brooklyn state Sens. Andrew Gounardes and Iwen Chu, Assembly Member Robert Carroll, and his former boss Justin Brannan.

“Talking about socialists, the party this, the party that, doesn't matter. Working families want to know what you are doing to make their life better,” Brannan said. “Make sure the playgrounds in the park look good. Make sure my kids' school has what it needs. That’s what working families care about. Not these imaginary culture wars and these talking points about socialism.”