A Brooklyn pol who narrowly lost the Republican primary to represent the Big Apple’s first Asian-majority Council district will remain in the race on the Conservative line –potentially splitting votes and costing the GOP a shot at scoring a high-stakes seat.
Vito LaBella, a retired NYPD lieutenant, was the Republican Party’s nominee, but lost last month’s primary by a mere 33 votes to Ying Tan, a community activist who’ll have the party line in November’s general election for the new 43rd Council district seat covering Bensonhurst, New Utrecht, and parts of Dyker Heights and Sunset Park.
Instead of bowing out, LaBella announced Thursday he will run as the Conservative Party’s endorsed candidate, saying he’s “fully aware of the challenges that lie ahead,” but that he can “make a meaningful impact on the lives of the people in our city” by “staying in this race.”
Both Republican and Democratic pols and community leaders predicted the move would significantly boost the candidacy of Democratic primary winner Susan Zhuang.
Typically, Brooklyn’s Republican and Conservative parties endorse the same candidates in each race to prevent such a split by their voting base.
“Vito staying in the race definitely makes it harder for Ying Tan and certainly helps Susan,” said Yiatin Chu, president of the nonpartisan Asian Wave Alliance, which endorsed Tan in the primary.
Chu’s group was instrumental in getting the city to carve out the new district, which is currently 54% Asian, records show.
Tan accused LaBella of “dividing the party” and playing “spoiler” to help a Democrat get elected.
She also said the Brooklyn Republican Party has not reached out to congratulate her or offer assistance in the general election, even though she now has the party line.
Brooklyn GOP Chairman Ted Ghorra did not return a message.
Although 52% of its registered voters are Democrat compared to 14% Republican, voters in the new district overwhelmingly backed Republican Curtis Sliwa over eventual winner Eric Adams in the 2021 mayoral race and Republican Donald Trump over eventual winner Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election.
So Republicans went into the primary feeling the council seat is prime for the taking.
Democrats — including five Asians — currently hold 46 of the 51 Council seats.