Brooklyn Democrats Approve Controversial Party Rule Changes Amid Opposition

Brooklyn Democratic Party leaders on Tuesday narrowly approved controversial bylaw changes critics say were designed to secure the re-election of party chair Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn despite opposition from top state and city Democrats.

The vote by 21 district leaders—eight of them lame ducks who lost June primaries—authorized the creation of dozens of new voting seats on the party’s executive committee ahead of the fall leadership election. Eighteen to twenty leaders opposed the measures. The changes come after reform-aligned district leaders had flipped enough seats in the June primaries to potentially unseat Bichotte Hermelyn for the first time in six years.

The closed-door meeting at the Thomas Jefferson Democratic Club in Mill Basin restricted press access, with staff taping over windows to block outside view. Bichotte Hermelyn departed through a rear exit and declined to comment afterward. Her office issued a statement Wednesday morning calling the vote an effort to “expand representation” and build “a Party that truly reflects Brooklyn.”

Critics argue the changes dilute the influence of newly elected district leaders. Luke Ohlson, a reform-aligned district leader from North Brooklyn, called the process a “miscarriage of the will of the voters,” saying thousands of voters would be disenfranchised. The suit filed by reformers challenging the vote was dismissed before the meeting for lack of evidence, but attorneys plan to refile.

Frank Seddio, former party chair and current district leader, defended the changes as an opportunity to broaden participation. Renee Collymore, a former district leader now serving as party liaison, said the reforms would allow more people like her—who lost her seat to a reformer—to regain voting power.

The bylaw changes effectively expand the executive committee to include leaders from every Assembly district, a move Bichotte Hermelyn framed as democratic reform. However, opponents say the expanded body will be packed with establishment loyalists, rendering the reformers’ gains meaningless.

The vote occurred amid growing tensions within the Brooklyn Democratic Party. While Bichotte Hermelyn touted the changes as inclusive, her critics see them as a power grab. Earlier this month, Gov. Kathy Hochul, Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Sen. Chuck Schumer, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries and Attorney General Letitia James publicly urged the party to reverse course.

The Brooklyn Democratic Party has been a bastion of establishment control for decades, with Bichotte Hermelyn succeeding Seddio in 2020. During her tenure, she faced criticism for allocating party resources to fend off progressive challenges, even as Republican candidates gained ground in Brooklyn.

The reforms take effect immediately, setting the stage for a contentious fall leadership election where Bichotte Hermelyn seeks a third term. Her ability to maintain control now rests on the expanded executive committee, which reformers argue was restructured to ensure her continued leadership.