Welcome to the (Grand Old) Party: New lines push NYC Democrat to GOP
A freshman Democratic councilman in New York City is set to announce Monday that he is switching his political affiliation to the Republican Party and will take on a former ally for a redrawn Brooklyn district — seeking to capitalize on the GOP’s sudden outer-borough momentum, sources say.
The decision would give Bensonhurst Councilman Ari Kagan a good shot in a general election contest against incumbent Councilman Justin Brannan, the chairman of the powerful budget committee, in the new 47th District, which is anchored by Bay Ridge, the neighborhood Brannan currently represents in the 43rd District.
Kagan currently represents the 47th District, which also includes portions of Coney Island, Gravesend and Sea Gate.
Many of those neighborhoods have been redrawn into a new district, in which Republican Curtis Sliwa narrowly edged Mayor Eric Adams in the 2021 election.
Kagan, who is expected to announce the move Monday afternoon, declined to comment when contacted by The Post.
Brannan narrowly won his re-election campaign in 2021 amid a GOP wave that was fueled by anger over inflation nationally, criminal justice reforms approved by Democrats in Albany, and by soaring gas prices locally.
Word of the switch ignited a back-and-forth between Brannan — who dominates Democratic politics in the neighborhood and nearby — and Kagan on Twitter.
“Just going through some old photos,” Brannan wrote, posting a photo of Kagan holding one of his campaign signs.
Kagan retorted: “I also keep some old pictures and more” and posted a photo from Brannan’s endorsement of him in 2021.
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