A unified coalition
The “Power in Unity” theme spoke to this year’s “historic election,” Bichotte Hermelyn noted, adding that the Brooklyn Democratic Party’s goal is to “come together as a unified coalition to support our Democratic nominees on the ballot.”
“We are fighting a federal administration that feeds not on what they can do for Americans but what they can do for their friends and the billionaires,” Bichotte Hermelyn said. “Tonight, we are here to talk about what brings us together as a party. Look at our stage: You see a number of different Democrats who are all here in unity. Brooklyn is speaking in one voice.”
‘We are confident that we will win’
James, the first guest of the evening, was introduced by Bichotte Hermelyn, who voiced her unequivocal support for the attorney general in light of the recent federal charges brought up against her.
Zohran Mamdani and Assemblymember and Brooklyn Democratic Party Chair Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn. Photo by Wayne Daren Schneiderman
“Our attorney general doesn’t believe in distractions, like the baseless case brought against her by the current president who is weaponizing our justice system for his personal gain,” Bichotte Hermelyn said. “We say to you, Mr. Trump, ‘Hands off Tish!’ If you come for her, you’ve got to come through all of us.”
James used her platform to discuss the current state of SNAP benefits, pointing out that in New York City, 1.8 million individuals rely upon food stamps, including almost half a million children.
“We should not make this a political issue,” James said. “What we should do is stand together and make sure that no child goes to sleep hungry; that no veteran, no senior citizen, no disabled individual is denied what they need. We are confident that we will disrupt those individuals who want to stop food stamps from being provided to families who need it, not only in Brooklyn but all across the state of New York.”
Councilmember Crystal Hudson captures a moment with Zohran Mamdani and his supporters. Photo by Wayne Daren SchneidermanIt’s about people
Gonzalez said, “This is what Democratic unity looks like.”
“No matter what the challenges are, if we all work together, we will be victorious,” he continued. “The idea is to make sure that Brooklyn continues to be the guiding light of New York City.”
Mamdani captivated the crowd, taking the stage with confident swagger to Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind” as spectators cheered.
“Is Brooklyn in the house tonight?” Mamdani asked. “Where Brooklyn at?”
“Too often we forget what makes a party great,” he said. “It’s the people who are at the heart of it, and the people in this room have been on the front lines for that fight to remake our democracy into something that can actually deliver for the working needs of people who are being pushed out of this city.”
Mamdani stressed that the Democratic Party is a unified party with one purpose: to serve the working people. “In this moment, those people are under attack from Washington, DC,” he said, adding that “things need to change for this city and those who call the borough of Brooklyn home.”