A former top aide to ex-Mayor Bill de Blasio has emerged as a key figure pulling political tricks in the final days of the heated race pitting Brooklyn Council member Justin Brannan against Ari Kagan.
A group called Verrazano Victory Alliance has sent a text to registered Republican voters urging them to vote for a write-in candidate, Republican Katherine Khatari, instead of GOP nominee Kagan, in a bid to split the GOP vote and aid Democrat Brannan in Tuesday’s election.
Verrazano Victory Alliance, an independently run pro-Brannan political action committee, was created by Jon Paul Lupo, a pal of Brannan and top aide to former Mayor Bill de Blasio who helped the former mayor’s ill-fated campaign for president.
“Remember to write in Katherine Khatari for City Council on Tuesday, November 7th. We need a pro-Trump Republican to fight back against the radical left, not a Democrat in disguise like Ari Kagan…Paid for by Verrazzano Victory Alliance,” the text message says.
Khatari told The Post she’s voting for Kagan, not trying to undermine him, and accused Brannan’s team of engaging in dirty tricks.
“I’m going with Ari. I want a Republican seat,” Khatari said. “It’s a dirty Justin trick. No one is lower than Justin — maybe a cockroach. It makes me want to vomit to have two more years of Justin Brannan.”
Kagan said, “It’s desperation.”
Democrat Brannan and the Democrat-turned-Republican Kagan are pitted against each other because of redistricting.
The newly redrawn 47th Council District combines parts of neighborhoods in Kagan’s current district such as Bath Beach, Coney Island and Sea Gate as well as Brannan’s base in Bay Ridge.
Lupo defended his group’s text urging Republicans to vote for Khatari, noting she previously expressed interest in a write-up candidate.
But on Sunday Khatari cut a robocall to voters urging them to vote for Kagan.
State Conservative Party chairman Jerry Kassar, who is backing Kagan, said, “There’s been a lot of underhanded tactics by the supporters of Councilman Brannan.”
Brannan supporters are throwing the kitchen sink at Kagan. A pro-Brannan group backed by real estate and business donors called Future NYC Now is unloading on Kagan in mailers about child marriage and inflammatory statements made by Kagan’s campaign manager, John Seravalli.
But Brannan has been hit with friendly fire from Brooklyn Democratic Party chairwoman Rodneyse Bichotte, who put out two statements last week supporting Michael Bistreich, an autistic man who accused Brannan of tormenting him when they both worked for former Councilman Vincent Gentile.
Bistreich endorsed Kagan. Brannan denied wrongdoing and threatened to sue Bistreich.
In another race in the neighboring 48th District in heavily Jewish southern Brooklyn, a backer of Democrat challenger Amber Adler withdrew his support after hearing she was endorsed and received a $500 campaign donation from the Israel-bashing Professional Staff Congress.
Republican incumbent Inna Vernikov is heavily favored to win re-election in that race.
“I am officially withdrawing my support for Amber Adler in the District 48 race for City Council.
Amber has unconscionably embraced the @PSC_CUNY faculty union, accepting their money and their endorsement and I have worked hard to change her mind about it, but I have failed,” Kingsborough Community College professor Jeff Lax said in a statement on X.
“The @PSC_CUNY has PLANNED and ORGANIZED pro-Hamas rallies! The PSC-CUNY has worked WITH CUNY4Palestine to promote these rallies, to foment antisemitism, and to make the lives of Jews at CUNY unlivable,” he said.
Adler’s campaign declined to comment.