A former state Senate candidate who made waves during the pandemic by declaring that he despises “f—ing Brooklyn” has been handpicked by the borough’s Republican Party to run as its candidate in a high-stakes City Council race this year, according to paperwork reviewed by the Daily News.
The Brooklyn GOP’s decision to tap Vito LaBella, a former NYPD officer, as its candidate for the 43rd Council District infuriated local Asian community leaders, who sent a letter Wednesday to the party’s chairman, Ted Ghorra, urging him to backtrack.
The 12 community leaders, some of whom are registered Republicans, noted that the 43rd District was redrawn as part of this year’s redistricting process in such a way that it would represent as many Asian-American constituencies in Brooklyn as possible.
“This newly created district offers our community a chance for real representation, a chance to elect someone who understands and is able to meet our unique needs,” wrote the leaders, among whom were YK Cheung, CEO of South Brooklyn Community Coalition, and Don Lee, chairman of Homecrest Community Services, a Bensonhurst senior center.
“The decision by the Brooklyn GOP to select Vito LaBella, a MAGA Republican, in a backroom deal to run a campaign based on fear and demagoguery is egregious,” they continued. “This decision appears selfish and wholly opportunistic, and it should be seen as an insult to the Asian-Americans who form the majority in this district, for whom this district was created.”
Jack Ho, a community liaison for GOP Assemblyman Lester Chang, was initially supposed to run as the Brooklyn Republican Party’s candidate in the battle for the new 43rd, which spans parts of Sunset Park, Dyker Heights and Bensonhurst.
But an affidavit submitted Tuesday by Ghorra, Chang and other Brooklyn Republican Party leaders with the city Board of Elections states that Ho has opted to decline the nomination. The affidavit, which was obtained by The News, states that the party has as a result designated LaBella to run in his place.
As the party’s preferred pick, LaBella is a favorite for the GOP nomination, though he may face community activist Ying Tan in the district’s Republican primary in June. The winner will face off in November’s general election against Wai Yee Chan, Susan Zhuang or Stanley Ng, who are competing for the Democratic Party nod.
The 43rd is among a handful of races that are seen as especially competitive in this Council election cycle due to a growing conservative sentiment in southern Brooklyn.
LaBella did not return a request for comment Wednesday afternoon, but Ghorra confirmed he is the party’s pick in the 43rd. Ghorra held up the ex-cop as “the candidate of choice” for Chang and “numerous other” local GOP leaders.
“He has done very good work with the Asian community for many years on many of the issues that this community deeply cares about, including on education, crime, quality of life and safety-related matters,” Ghorra said. “Vito has and will have broad support among many leaders in the Asian community in Brooklyn and beyond.”
LaBella mounted a failed Republican campaign for a state Senate district in southern Brooklyn in last year’s elections.
During that campaign, The News unearthed an 18-minute video LaBella shot from his Massachusetts summer home in 2021, in which he offered some choice words for his native New York City borough.
“I like it so much better here,” the ex-cop said in the clip after showing off the front yard of his pad in West Harwich, Mass. “I hate f—ing Brooklyn, I wish I never had to go back.”
In their Wednesday letter, Cheung, Lee and the other local advocates said Brooklyn’s Asian-American community “deserves a seat at the table and a voice in the City Council.”
“If Vito LaBella cares at all about our community, he’ll drop out,” they added.
Brooklyn Councilman Justin Brannan, a Democrat who currently represents the 43rd District but is running in the 47th this year due to the redistricting, scoffed at LaBella’s entry into the race.
“Imagine they draw a new Council district in Brooklyn to empower the Asian community to elect one of their own. Then imagine being a guy who proudly hates Brooklyn, lives in Cape Cod, and thinks HE is the person the Asian community needs right now!” Brannan tweeted.
