Brooklyn, NY – He has represented Boro Park, Dyker Heights and sections of Midwood in the State Assembly for nearly 30 years. He pummeled a Republican challenger last year but usually runs unopposed. His voice has become virtually synonymous with his highly Jewish district, which relies on him to champion equity issues and fight bias.
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Democrat Dov Hikind, who breaks from the party line frequently when he disagrees with it, is as entrenched as entrenched gets. But something may finally change that: the vacancy in the 9th Congressional district, created by Anthony Weiner’s sudden departure.
“A lot of people are encouraging me to run. It is a very conservative Democratic district. But at this point, I have made no decision one way or another,” Hikind told Hamodia yesterday.
He did not identify who has done the encouraging and, through spokesperson Allison Witty, politely declined to discuss the matter further. But social media groups rooting for Hikind to enter the fray have formed.
The Congressional district now up for grabs is not as densely Jewish as Hikind’s current one, but it also has a high percentage of Jewish constituents. For now, the district includes the neighborhoods of Forest Hills, Kew Garden Hills and Far Rockaway in Queens, and Marine Park and pieces of Midwood and Kensington in Brooklyn. It is poised to change or be dissolved in the redistricting process, unless one of the parties can leverage a strong figure in the seat.
The voting trend in the Congressional district has veered more right-wing with time a factor that would help Hikind, who could possibly vie for the Republican nomination given his history of aligning with that party’s platform on certain issues, particularly security and socially oriented ones. Weiner was a shoo-in on his re-election bids, though last year, Republican Robert Turner came out of nowhere and capitalized on anti-liberal backlash. Running on the Conservative Party line as well, Turner took 37 percent of the vote; Weiner, running on the Democratic, Independence and Working Families lines, scooped up57 percent – a commanding but diminished show of power.
Why does he need this?
I think he would be good, Dov stood up last week in the Assembly to vote against Gay Marriage, while another Jew in the Assembly, David Weprin said as an orthodox Jew he will support Gay Marriage..
So who do you want in Congress?
Best news I’ve heard today. We would all be lucky to have him in Congress, but he is
also needed in the Assembly.
Good move for everyone
#2 . Thats a little closed minded, no? i actually would vote for someone who is supportive of gay marriage. no one is making you marry a gay person its just giving the people who are gay the right to..
hope he runs
It is a trap and political suicide. Albany will silence a Jewish voice by redistricting him to oblivion.
I’d send him a campaign contribution. But he probably would not be in Congress long, as NY is losing two seats and this horribly gerrymandered district is very likely to be one of the ones to disappear.
there is talk of getting rid of this district-so why would he be foolish to go for it ?
If he has other information – go for it .
That should HAVE GREENFIELD EYE HIKIND’D ASSEMBLY SEAT.
The seat will be eliminated in 2012, so he will be out of a job. He does not live in the district.
#11 – no one is disputing the sins of homosexuality. no one is callign g-d wrong. but everyone has different beliefs. your beliefs shouldnt interfere with how other people believe. America is a christian country – they are open minded and allow all faiths to practice religion. you are able to put tefillen everyday and wear a yalmuka openly … thats not the christain way. even though homosexuality isnt what you believe in, there are other people in this city and country who dont believe in the same faith as you- they should have that right to practice what they want without causing anyone else harm
Good Move, Hinkind is a stand-up guy, which is uncommon in politics. I hope he runs and succeeds!
I like Dov Hikind; I remember when he went to Bitburg, Germany in 1985, to protest the visit of Ronald Reagan to the Bitburg Cemetery, which contained the graves of SS troops. At the time, Hikind stated that he took a vow never to go to Germany. However, he made an exception, as it was very important to protest. Today, if one looks at any book written about Ronald Reagan, the chapter pertaining to Bitburg has been swept under the rug, as if it never happened!