Brooklyn celebrates its famous political clout, locally and nationally

WILLIAMSBURG — The theme of the evening was unequivocally Brooklyn.

Political unanimity reigned supreme as hundreds of attendees, as well as prominent elected officials, celebrated their borough with pride at the Brooklyn Democratic Party’s Annual Gala last night, held at Giando on the Water in Williamsburg.

The vibe was festive and relatively informal, as a star-studded cast of local, state and federal Democratic elite spoke at the Party’s annual fundraiser.

Guests included Mayor Eric Adams, Governor Kathy Hochul, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Senate Majority Leader Charles “Chuck” Schumer, and many more.

While all of the speakers kept their speeches considerably short, their message was crystal clear: “Brooklyn in the house!”

New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared Brooklyn, “the epicenter of political power — not just in New York City or the State of New York, but the entire United States of America.”

Hochul pointed out that one of her personal goals is to “harness this political power that we see here in Brooklyn, and use it at the state level — uniting our party like never before, and turning the New York State Democratic Party into the political powerhouse that it always should have been.”

Schumer, who spoke next, first addressed the crowd with an impromptu freestyle.

“My name is Chuck; I bring you luck,” he rapped to the cheering crowd. “Is Brooklyn in the house? Is Brooklyn the greatest?”

Schumer, who was just reelected to his fifth term in the Senate, noted that he is the first New Yorker ever to serve five terms.

“And you know who I owe it to?” he asked.

“Brooklyn!” The crowd exclaimed.

United States Senator Kirsten Gillibrand referred to Brooklyn as “the heart and soul of the Democratic party,” adding that her plan in time is to “flip the House of Representatives.”

And Letitia “Tish” James, New York’s first female attorney general, said that “Brooklyn represents the heartbeat of this nation, and is the coolest place in the universe.”  She used her platform to urge people to “go out and vote — vote your values.”

“We have to make sure that Brooklyn reflects the diversity in this room,” James said.

Jeffries, who addressed the crowd next, spoke to his responsibility to fight to make life better for the people he represents, pointing out that House Democrats are only five seats short of taking back the majority.

“I’m thankful today that I’m with all of you as the highest-ranking Democrat in the United States Congress,” Jeffries said. “And we can win the House alone right here in New York State with your support. So let’s win back control of the United States House of Representatives!”

Adams, who spoke last, came on stage to the music “The Champ is Here” by Jadakiss. He received a resounding ovation. He particularly praised one Brooklyn leader who has become known as ‘the great unifier.’

“We’re here to celebrate this amazing county leader,” Adams said. “If you’re in a foxhole, you want to be in a foxhole with Rodneyse Bichotte. Brooklyn is in the house because we have a great county leader in the house.”

For a complete photo gallery of the annual Democratic Party gala, click here.