See this story at BrooklynDaily.com.
By Max Jaeger
Brooklyn Daily
Political newcomer Stamatis Lilikakis of Bay Ridge defeated Bensonhurst politico Lucretia Regina-Potter in the Sept. 9 Republican primary for the 46th Assembly District, taking more than 55 percent of the vote.
The win positions him to take on four-term incumbent Alec Brook-Krasny (D–Coney Island) in the November general election.
Lilikakis touted himself as a political outsider, but nonetheless made some powerful insider friends — most notably Brooklyn Republican powerhouse state Sen. Marty Golden, with whom Lilikakis shares a campaign office. And he made a point to thank his establishment pals when he declared victory, just an hour and a half after polls closed.
“I’d like to thank all of my supporters and volunteers for all their hard work and support — especially Congressman Michael Grimm, Senator Marty Golden, and Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis and their staffs,” Lilikakis said. “On to November, when we can give voters a clear choice between bringing Brooklyn forward or business as usual.”
Regina-Potter, the party’s district leader in the 46th Assembly District, suggested Lilikakis’ outsider status was a sham, and called the victory a win for Brooklyn’ Republican establishment.
“He claimed he was an outsider, yet he had the backing of Golden,” she said.
She called out Golden in particular, and challenged him directly.
“This is not the first time Golden has put candidates against me in a primary,” said Regina-Potter. “If Marty Golden wants to primary me, I’ll go up against him man against woman.”
Lilikakis, a first-generation Brooklynite of Greek heritage, will meet Brook-Krasny, a Russian immigrant, in November.
Brook-Krasny struggled for years to gain political office before incumbent Adele Cohen stepped out of the limelight eight years ago. The Brighton Beach businessman bested fellow Russian-emigre Ari Kagan in a close race in 2006, and since then, Brook-Krasny has sailed to victory every two years in one of the last bastions of Brooklyn Republicanism.
Democrats still outnumber Republicans by more than two-to-one in the district, but voters in the overlapping 22nd senate district have returned state Sen. Marty Golden in every election since 2002.
In any case, Lilikakis said he expects voters that from both parties will come together behind him in the general election.
“People are fed up,” he said. “I’m getting good responses from Democrats and Republicans.”
Lilikakis is running on a platform of ending corruption and politics-as-usual in Albany, which he claims Brook-Krasny is doing nothing to address.
“He seems like a nice man, but he’s not doing anything to change it,” Lilikakis said “He’s representing a party not the people.”
Expect fireworks leading up to November 4.