A year ago at this time, the Brooklyn GOP had 5 Republican elected officials for the first time since 1974. A year later, with the redistricting forcing Bob Turner to retire, David Storobin to lose his senate seat and Michael Grimm getting most of his district in Staten Island, the Brooklyn GOP has only two elected officials representing them statewide.

Yet, a recent rift between Chairman Craig Eaton and Senator Marty Golden has split the party to the grassroots level.

As petition season kicks off this week, the two factions are putting in an effort to recruit as many activists and candidates to their side. The Brooklyn GOP is coordinating its slate of candidates with the John Catsimatidis campaign, while Senator Golden is recruiting party loyalist to his side.

The Brooklyn GOP Fountainhead blog filed this report:

“The Brooklyn GOP Organization held three outreach meetings this week: the first was held in the Trump Village part of the 46th A.D. and was attended by about fifty people, half of which were eligible to vote and/or run in that district; the second was at Buckley’s in Marine Park where Craig Eaton, Russell Gallo and Diana Sepulveda spoke to a packed house getting a favorable response from most; the most recent event for “County” was earlier this evening at the Grand Prospect Hall, where Eaton, Gallo and Sepulveda were joined by Gerry O’Brien and introduced about 45-50 newcomers to the world of the Kings County Republican Committee.

“Perhaps cutting into a few of those that might have gone to the GOP event at the Grand Prospect Hall, was the competing meeting thrown at Gargiulo’s by “Republicans for Change.” More than the selection of the site suggests that “Republicans for Change” is focused on a few districts in Southwest Brooklyn. The selection of the event’s speakers, Marty Golden, David Storobin and Clorinda Annarumo suggest that the “Republicans for Change” group does not cover a lot of territory.

Nonetheless, the evenings offerings at Gargiulo’s might have succeeded in bringing out what one of my operatives described as a much larger contingent of supporters than the similar affair last week at the Bay Ridge Manor. However, maybe that should be taken with a dose of salt, because another source reported in some detail that the event was dismally similar to the earlier event that Golden threw at the Bay Ridge Manor, but this time with many more bumps along the way and a crowd that was largely confused as to why they were there. Interestingly, mayoral candidate Joseph Lhota was introduced but didn’t give a speech.”

Photo credit: Brooklyn Daily

(Jacob Kornbluh – YWN)