A flyer for Queens Borough President Melinda Katz’s district attorney campaign being passed around Queens touts the names of 14 elected officials who endorsed her for the office. Among them is Queens Assemblyman Brian Barnwell - but Barnwell was surprised after seeing a picture of the flyer posted on Twitter.
Asked to explain, a Katz campaign spokesman said that Barnwell’s name has been on campaign literature for months now. “He and Melinda had a conversation way back where he said he was supporting her,” the spokesman said.
In a call with City & State, Barnwell disagreed. “Nope, that’s a lie. Never said I would endorse her,” the second-term Democrat said, adding that the tweet on Tuesday was the first time he’d seen Katz claiming his endorsement. His name was not listed among Katz’s endorsements on her website.
Barnwell represents a district that stretches from conservative-leaning predominantly white Maspeth and Middle Village into more diverse, liberal Astoria, Long Island City and Woodside. The race has become the latest front in an ongoing battle among leftist and moderate Queens Democrats – an especially tense rivalry in some of the progressive, gentrifying Western Queens neighborhoods that overlap with Barnwell’s district.
“I literally had a conversation with Melinda two months ago, and I told her I’m not endorsing anyone in this race,” Barnwell said. “She called me two weeks ago, I didn’t even answer the phone.”
Campaigns occasionally incorrectly or mistakenly claim an endorsement. In the New York City public advocate special election earlier this year, Rep. Anthony Brindisi denied endorsingAssemblyman Danny O’Donnell, and two different candidates said they had Assemblywoman Michele Titus’ backing.
Barnwell’s isn’t the only endorsement being contested in the current Queens district attorney race. Queens district attorney candidate City Councilman Rory Lancman has an endorsement from Queensbridge Houses Tenants Association President April Simpson featured prominently on his website. Below her photo is a message, including, “I trust Rory and I’m voting for Rory.”
But at a candidate forum in Sunnyside on Monday night, Katz’ campaign was handing out letters of support signed by three New York City Housing Authority tenant association presidents, including Simpson. Included in that note: “We urge you to join us in supporting Melinda Katz for district attorney on June 25th.”
Simpson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
And Simpson’s isn’t even the only endorsement both Katz and Lancman are flaunting. As of June 4, both Katz and Lancman have the endorsement of Rev. Phil Craig of the Greater Springfield Community Church listed on their websites. Craig is one name on a long list for Katz, while Lancman’s site features a video of Lancman at Craig’s church. In it, Craig is clear: “My vote goes to Rory Lancman.”
Craig, the Lancman campaign and Katz’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.