Two Brooklyn legislators got in a tussle. Now they’re running against each other.

Assembly Member Monique Chandler-Waterman and New York City Council Member Mercedes Narcisse allegedly got in a physical altercation in February – and after fighting over ballot access, they will be facing off against each in the primary for Democratic district leader next month.

Narcisse initially declined to share more specifics on the fight and Chandler-Waterman declined to comment. But five people familiar with what happened at the February conference in Albany said Chandler-Waterman tried to bar Narcisse from her Friday night Caribbean reception at Caucus Weekend, which led to the tussle. 

“Monique likes attention. And I don’t like that. I’m a grown-up person,” Narcisse told City & State. “This behavior is for a 5-year-old. … I don’t want to give air to it.”

After this story was initially published, Narcisse said people were mistaken, and she actually stayed away from the Caribbean reception, in order to avoid any drama with Chandler-Waterman. That’s because, Narcisse said, the reception came days after the two had a public spat at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center in East Flatbush. Narcisse said  that Chandler-Waterman’s hat had gotten in her face while they were lining up for a photo, and the two exchanged words – though Narcisse disagreed with the characterization that it was a “tussle” or a “fight.”

Narcisse is a Democratic district leader in southeastern Brooklyn, and Chandler-Waterman is challenging her reelection for DL this year. Most sitting legislators would simply let their neighbor keep the extra, unpaid role, but it’s gotten ugly between the two former allies. 

Narcisse, with the support of state Sen. Kevin Parker and Brooklyn Democratic Party Leader Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn (Chandler-Waterman’s colleague in the Assembly), tried to get Chandler-Waterman booted from the ballot. They accused her of petition fraud, saying she never got Parker’s approval to put his name on her petitions. But a Brooklyn judge ruled for Chandler-Waterman Monday after seeing that Parker’s chief of staff did approve – by giving the petitions a “like” or “thumbs up” in a text message.

Chandler-Waterman declined to address the fight, or comment on why she was challenging Narcisse. But she did celebrate the ruling in the statement, saying her candidacy is, “in part, a commitment to focusing on, and only on, the community’s needs, ensuring that leadership remains grounded in integrity, respect, and collaboration, and service to the people.”

So now the two feuding legislators are set to face off in the district leader race. And it could be consequential for the borough’s leadership. Narcisse is likely to support Bichotte Hermelyn for reelection as leader of the Brooklyn Dems, while Chandler-Waterman would not.

Narcisse said she isn’t planning to keep fighting in court to get Chandler-Waterman off the ballot. “She’s in there, on the ballot. Let it be, let the people decide,” Narcisse said to City & State. 

“I’m going to beat her up – at the poll.”