A New York City Democrat looking to claim a state assembly seat in Brooklyn has filed a petition to run on a “Pro-Israel Party” ballot line to boost his chances of winning in the heavily Jewish southern section of the borough.
The petitioner, Joey Cohen Saban, is trying to flip a seat held by GOP incumbent Michael Novakhov and said he has already gathered enough signatures to run as the nominee of his proposed party. He will still run as a Democrat in the 45th Assembly District.
“The line would provide a way for people to show support for Israel, to get the attention it deserves,” Saban told the New York Post. “There’s tremendous support for Israel in the district.”
Saban is a Brooklyn native and is Jewish. He has attacked his opponent for previously donating to Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), a critic of Israel, and compared him to former New York Rep. George Santos for changing his party affiliation from Democratic to Republican. Santos has switched from Republican to independent.
“Novakhov has supported people who are anti-Israel — it crosses the line,” Saban said.
Novakhov, who is also Jewish, has countered by suggesting Saban didn’t have enough valid signatures for the ballot move. “Some signatures are not kosher,” Novakhov said.
“Saban is using the situation in Israel to get more votes,” he said. “It’s just a trick.”
The move is novel among politicians looking to garner support from voters this fall, many using Israel’s war against Hamas as a key issue in their races. Republicans have generally supported Israel, while some Democrats have been hesitant to throw their support behind Israel’s fight with Hamas.
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Democrats hold a 102-48 supermajority in the New York State Assembly as part of a Democratic trifecta in the state.
All of the New York Senate and Assembly seats will be up for election this November.