Candidates for District Leader

Here’s our slate of 2026 endorsements — we’ll keep adding to this list as we get closer to the June 2026 primary.

All endorsed candidates have committed to revitalizing the Brooklyn Democratic Party and signed this pledge to pursue specific reforms.

All these candidates have been endorsed by at least one of our core coalition partners:

New Kings Democrats

Brooklyn Young Democrats

Lambda Independent Democrats

2026 Endorsed Candidates

(* = Incumbents)

  • Brooklyn Can't Wait Candidate Aaron Ouyang for District Leader

    Aaron Ouyang*

    Assembly District 52

    “I want to reform the Brooklyn Democratic Party so that it serves the borough. I want to help finish what the campaign started and start to deliver on its pledge.”

  • Brooklyn Can't Wait Candidate Akel Williams for District Leader

    Akel Williams

    Assembly District 43

    “I believe that collectively the BCW Reform Caucus could bring about the change that I believe is overdue in the Brooklyn Democratic Party apparatus. We see some of the changes our collective efforts have brought about this far, and I would like to continue this to change even more.”

  • Brooklyn Can't Wait Candidate Akwasi Agyeman for District Leader

    Akwasi Agyeman

    Assembly District 57

    “The Democratic Party has failed many working class and even middle class constituents, especially in Kings County. The grassroots organizing and activation needed to build movements is currently being hindered by back-door dealing and outdated rules that mask and hoard power. I want to be a part of the change that this coalition aims to bring and help bring transparency/improve civic engagement.”

  • Brooklyn Can't Wait Candidate Alan Gamboa for District Leader

    Alan Gamboa

    Assembly District 54

    “Now is a time of great hope and great opportunity in New York City politics. We need to clean house by breaking away from the corrupt machinery of the past to create a Party that is transparent, welcoming, and responsive to the needs of working people, so that we can harness the energy on the streets and transform our entire democracy.”

  • Brooklyn Can't Wait Candidate Angela Kravtchenko for District Leader

    Angela Kravtchenko*

    Assembly District 46

    “The Brooklyn Democratic Party should be an inclusive, educational, and transparent force that supports real democratic values.”

  • Brooklyn Can't Wait Candidate Chris McCreight for District Leader

    Chris McCreight*

    Assembly District 46

    “We need a better, more transparent, Democratic Party that is organized to win general elections..“

  • Carmella Charrington

    Assembly District 56

  • Brooklyn Can't Wait Candidate Diana González for District Leader

    Diana González*

    Assembly District 44

    “The Brooklyn Democratic Party needs to be democratic, first and foremost. We need a wholesale culture shift that opens up the party and makes county committee members valued partners.”

  • Brooklyn Can't Wait Candidate Dion C. Quamina I for District Leader

    Dion C. Quamina I

    Assembly District 55

    “The Brooklyn Democratic Party cannot function as a closed system if we expect voters to trust it. District Leaders should serve as operational bridges between community members and elected officials, while also strengthening internal party accountability. Brooklyn Can’t Wait represents a coalition that understands reform requires coordination, discipline, and transparency. I am prepared to help build that infrastructure in AD55.”

  • Brooklyn Can't Wait Candidate Emmitt Sklar for District Leader

    Emmitt Sklar

    Assembly District 44

    “It's time to transform our party into an ally in the fight for an affordable NYC and organize our neighbors while we do it.”

  • Brooklyn Can't Wait Candidate Felix Ceballos for District Leader

    Felix Ceballos*

    Assembly District 53

    “My biggest goal is to fight for more transparency in the party, to make members aware that they have greater participation in voting as a member.”

  • Brooklyn Can't Wait Candidate Ilyssa Meyer for District Leader

    Ilyssa Meyer

    Assembly District 52

    “Brooklyn Can’t Wait represents a future-oriented Democratic coalition —one that understands that winning elections and governing effectively requires trust, inclusion, and organizing from the ground up. As district leader, I would work in partnership with this coalition to strengthen our local party infrastructure, empower grassroots leaders, and ensure Brooklyn’s Democratic Party reflects both our values and our future.”

  • Brooklyn Can't Wait Candidate Jacqui Painter for District Leader

    Jacqui Painter*

    Assembly District 51

    “As a District Leader, I’m committed to working towards more transparency, coalition-building, and ensuring that working-class communities in AD51 like Red Hook and Sunset Park have real power within the Democratic Party.”

  • Brooklyn Can't Wait Candidate Jenna Bimbi for District Leader

    Jenna Bimbi*

    Assembly District 50

    “District Leaders are the organizers of our local Democratic Party. Creating spaces for transparency and inclusion are my goals. I will continue to work with the people for the Democratic Party we deserve #peoplepower”

  • Brooklyn Can't Wait Candidate Julio Pena III for District Leader

    Julio Peña III*

    Assembly District 51

    “Any change we try to move forward will need a broad coalition of members, not just for the numbers but also to be advocates/champions of the work we are trying to do.”

  • Brooklyn Can't Wait Candidate Luke Ohlson for District Leader

    Luke Ohlson*

    Assembly District 50

    “While being deeply aware of the digital divide, I am committed to help in making the process more understandable to more people through media.“

  • Brooklyn Can't Wait Candidate Maritza Davila for District Leader

    Maritza Davila*

    Assembly District 53

    “The Brooklyn Can’t Wait campaign is a way to engage with Brooklyn in a way that we have been disenfranchised communities for decades. We are now very close to changing that, and I want to be a part of that historical moment and movement.”

  • Brooklyn Can't Wait Candidate Mark Hanna for District Leader

    Mark Hanna*

    Assembly District 64

    “I believe that the coalition of progressive organizations involved in BCW represent a more diverse, more democratic, and more egalitarian vision of local politics that I support and want to promote.”

  • Brooklyn Can't Wait Candidate Nakisha "Nikki" Evans for District Leader

    Nakisha "Nikki" Evans

    Assembly District 43

    “As a Brooklyn Democrat, I want a party that functions better — is inclusive to others, knows how to build consensus and focus around a platform, engages with the local voters, and is transparent about the processes of the party…everything from how the judges slate is chosen to how people can run for office and positions.”

  • Brooklyn Can't Wait Candidate Omar Hardy for District Leader

    Omar Hardy

    Assembly District 56

    “For too long, the 'County' establishment has prioritized the maintenance of a closed-door system over the actual needs of our neighbors. Like the coalition, I believe that a party is only as strong as its integrity, and right now, that integrity is being undermined by a lack of transparency and accountability.”

  • Brooklyn Can't Wait Candidate Samia Aljahmi for District Leader

    Samia Aljahmi*

    Assembly District 64

    “I have been a Bay Ridge resident since 1996 and started translating for families who had children with an I.E.P. I was a parent advocate at public schools and have had decades of assisting families, immigrants, minorities, people with disabilities etc.”

  • Brooklyn Can't Wait Candidate Sandy Nurse for District Leader

    Sandy Nurse

    Assembly District 54

    “New Kings Democrats are paving the way for reforming our county party. The reason we have consistently low voter turnout in AD54 is that our District Leaders don’t bother to put any effort into getting those numbers up. It’s embarrassing. I want AD54 to be turning out as many voters as central Brooklyn. There is no reason we can’t get there. I want to deepen my commitment to the district and help install new leadership in the Brooklyn Democratic Party.”

  • Brooklyn Can't Wait Candidate Shaquana Boykin for District Leader

    Shaquana Boykin*

    Assembly District 57

    “District Leaders are the organizers of our local Democratic Party. Creating spaces for transparency and inclusion are my goals. I will continue to work with the people for the Democratic Party we deserve #peoplepower“

  • Brooklyn Can't Wait Candidate Stanley Scutt for District Leader

    Stanley Scutt

    Assembly District 59

    “I'm fighting to reform the Democratic Party of Brooklyn so that it is more inclusive, transparent, and accountable. This is why Brooklyn Can’t Wait.”

2024 Endorsed Candidates

Akel Williams
Assembly District 43

Diana González
Assembly District 44

Angela Kravtchenko
Assembly District 46

Chris McCreight
Assembly District 46

Jenna Bimbi
Assembly District 50

Luke Ohlson
Assembly District 50

Jacqui Painter
Assembly District 51

Julio Peña III
Assembly District 51

Aaron Ouyang
Assembly District 52

Lydia Green
Assembly District 52

Felix Ceballos
Assembly District 53

Shaquana Boykin
Assembly District 57

Racquel Williams
Assembly District 59

Mark Hanna
Assembly District 64

Widad Hassan
Assembly District 64

Other Endorsed Candidates

Some of these candidates were disqualified by lawsuits filed by the Brooklyn County Democratic party, an indication of the lengths the party will go to in order to discourage democratic participation and protect incumbents:

Victoria (Tori) Kelly: AD49

Robert Camacho: AD54

David Alexis: AD58