Jeffries Refuses to Attack, Name Opponents During Campaign Kick-Off

The cold weather wasn’t the only thing that lacked heat during Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries’ congressional campaign kickoff this afternoon.

During Jeffries’ seven-minute speech at Brooklyn Borough Hall, he didn’t once mention his two opponents in the race by name – or even in passing. Instead of talking about incumbent Congressman Ed Towns and Councilman Charles Barron, Jeffries spent most of the speech slamming the agenda of the Congressional Republicans.

Of course, Towns hasn’t officially announced he will run for re-election. If Towns doesn’t, Jeffries would surely like his support — which could be one reason why Jeffries is holding his fire for now.

There was one hint of sharper attacks to come at a press scrum afterwards. Jeffries answered a question about Towns by saying that it was time to “to provide representation in Washington, D.C. that pushes back against the radical right, and stands up on behalf of this president, who I believe is doing a very good job.”

This seems to be a reference to the fact that Towns was bounced as the ranking member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee in early 2010, over concerns by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that Towns wouldn’t forcefully stand up to the new Republican chair, California Congressman Darrel Issa.

It’s also notable that Jeffries defended Obama so staunchly throughout his remarks. Jeffries has connections with the Obama White House. One of his top advisors is Michael Gaspard, of the Advance Group, who is the brother of former White House political director and current DNC executive director Patrick Gaspard. Jeffries often says he wants to run for Congress in order to serve under the Obama White House. And Jeffries himself has before been dubbed the “Barack of Brooklyn.”

Only a couple of elected officials showed up – Brooklyn Councilman Steve Levin and district leader Walter Mosley, who is running for Jeffries’ Assembly seat – but Jeffries expects a “surprising” number of elected officials, clergy and labor unions to back him, he said. Probably about 100 community members did show.

Though Towns, as an incumbent, probably has some sway over of the redistricting process, Jeffries also said he did not believe his political base in his district covering parts of Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Bed-Stuy, Crown Heights and Prospect Heights, can be cut out.

“I expect the district will remain largely the same, given the fact that it’s sandwiched between two voting rights act districts and it’s a voting rights act district itself,” Jeffries said. “There will be changes on the margins, I’m sure, but the neighborhoods of Clinton Hill, Fort Green, Bedford-Stuyvesant, parts of Williamsburg, Ocean Hill, Brownsville, East New York, and Canarsie, I think will still largely remain in the tenth.”

Jeffries said he had not spoken to Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver about the new lines, and that he does not expect congressional lines to be drawn until Senate and Assembly lines are created.

All the while, Jeffries didn’t once mention the name of Barron or Towns or specific problems with Towns’ record. But Jeffries said to stay tuned.

“The campaign is 15 minutes old, and there will be a lot of time for us to do that in the weeks and months to come,” Jeffries said.