Sen. Chuck Schumer returned to his native Brooklyn on Oct. 19 to tell a room full of fellow Democrats how important it is to elect Hillary Clinton president — and to turn the Republican-controlled Senate blue so he can become majority leader.
The Sloper spoke just minutes before Clinton and Donald Trump faced off in their final televised presidential debate, and Schumer (D–Park Slope) told the crowd why it’s so crucial to keep the momentum going until the Nov. 8 election.
“It’s important that Hillary be elected president and we take back the majority I would say for three reasons — economic, political, and moral,” Schumer said. “The polls right now show that Democrats have become mobilized and are eager to win, and Republicans are getting disillusioned. We can take our energy, and we can take our conviction, and we can turn America around. Vote Hillary!”
Schumer, who is running for his fourth term, is also in the midst of his own bid for majority leader — a gig for which he has been endorsed by current Democratic Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid — but first he needs at least four Democratic senators to wrest seats from Republicans.
Members of the Independent Neighborhood Democrats, Lambda Democratic Club, Stonewall Democrats, and the Brooklyn Young Democrats all came to listen to the senator — and local politicos were particularly excited because of how tough it can be to book the Park Slope seantor, one said.
“We’ve been working on having Sen. Schumer address the club here in Downtown Brooklyn for many, many months,” said Lawrence Gulotta, president of the Independent Neighborhood Democrats, which hosted the event. “It was not easy, it’s incredible he came. We’re very pleased.”
A handful of local electeds — including Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D–Williamsburg), Assemblywoman Jo Anne Simon (D–Carroll Gardens), state Sen. Daniel Squadron (D–Brooklyn Heights), and Public Advocate Tish James — also came to show their support.
