The Brooklyn Democratic Party power grab

The story so far

1. Oct 6, 2026 Latest

   A faction aligned with Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn held a 10 p.m. Zoom vote declaring Assembly Member Nikki Lucas Brooklyn Democratic chair despite a court restraining order, City & State reported. Lucas received 13 of 42 district leaders, and reformers filed for contempt ahead of a hearing set for Tuesday.

   Brooklyn Paper City & State New York - All Content Hell Gate

2. Oct 2, 2026

   A judge ruled that Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn's run as Brooklyn Democratic chair is over, leaving Rep. Nydia Velázquez in charge for now, City & State reported. Reformers said she could call the vote for Julio Peña III as soon as Monday, and Bichotte Hermelyn declined to comment.

   City & State New York - All Content

3. Sep 29, 2026

   An appellate panel again threw out the Brooklyn Democratic Party's amended rules, and a Brooklyn judge froze Tuesday night's vote for a new chair, City & State reported. Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn had already said she will not run again and is backing Assembly Member Nikki Lucas against reformers' pick Julio Peña III.

   Brooklyn Paper City & State New York - All Content Hell Gate NYT > New York Politics | Spectrum News NY1

4. Sep 28, 2026

   Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn said on NY1 that she will not seek another term as Brooklyn Democratic Party chair, and four sources told City & State she is backing Assembly Member Nikki Lucas, who has ties to Hakeem Jeffries. Reformers in the New Kings Democrats back Julio Peña III, and they planned to ask the court to halt the leadership vote after an appellate stay let the party proceed under its expanded 68-member executive committee while the appeal is pending.

   Breaking NYC News & Local Headlines | New York Post Brooklyn Paper City & State New York - All Content Politics | Spectrum News NY1

5. Sep 24, 2026

   The Brooklyn Democratic Party's organizational meeting started three and a half hours late and ended without deciding whether Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn stays chair, pushing the leadership vote to Sept. 29, City & State reported.

   City & State New York - All Content Hell Gate

6. Sep 15, 2026

   A Brooklyn judge ruled that the outgoing executive committee's August rewrite of party rules was improper and blocked outgoing committee members from voting on it, and the party said it will appeal before its Sept. 23 meeting.

   City & State New York - All Content Hell Gate Politics | Spectrum News NY1

7. Sep 10, 2026

   Judge Jill Epstein heard arguments Tuesday over whether the Brooklyn Democratic Party's outgoing executive committee could legally rewrite party rules and expand itself, with a ruling expected within days, Brooklyn Paper reported.

   Brooklyn Paper

8. Sep 4, 2026

   Gothamist reported that Brooklyn Democratic Party chair Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn worked with Frank Seddio, who also serves as a New York City elections commissioner, to rewrite the party's rules and expand its executive committee after reformers won a majority of district leader seats.

   Gothamist

9. Sep 3, 2026

   A judge adjourned the lawsuit over Brooklyn Democratic chair Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn's executive committee expansion after three reform-aligned district leaders said they could not afford lawyers on 24 hours' notice, and the party must now elect its chair between Sept. 17 and Oct. 1.

   Brooklyn Paper Hell Gate

10. Aug 27, 2026

    Brooklyn Democratic chair Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn's executive committee expansion passed 21-19 with one abstention and one absence, adding County Committee officers and an Assembly District delegate to grow the body from 42 to more than 68 members with a quorum of 25, and lowering the threshold for future rule changes involving proxies to 75 percent from a proposed 85 percent. Reformers backing Julio Pena III said they held 22 of the 42 former district-leader votes, enough to elect him under the old rules.

    Brooklyn Paper Politics | Spectrum News NY1

11. Aug 26, 2026

    Brooklyn Democratic Party chair Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn won a closed-door executive committee vote Tuesday to expand the committee from 42 to more than 68 seats, a change reformers who won a majority of district leader seats in June said was designed to block them from taking the chair.

    City & State New York - All Content Politics | Spectrum News NY1

12. Aug 25, 2026

    A judge declined Monday to block Tuesday's closed-door executive committee meeting, calling reformers' request premature, clearing Bichotte Hermelyn to hold a 6 p.m. vote at the Thomas Jefferson Democratic Club in Mill Basin to expand the committee from 42 to more than 68 members. Reform-aligned district leaders, who won 22 of 42 district leader seats in June, said the proposed rules would require an 85% vote share for future changes, and Sens. Schumer and Gounardes, Rep. Jeffries, Attorney General James, Gov. Hochul and Mayor Mamdani all publicly opposed the change ahead of the vote.

    Brooklyn Paper City & State New York - All Content Hell Gate Politics | Spectrum News NY1

13. Aug 22, 2026

    Brooklyn Democratic Party chair Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn moved to expand her executive committee days before a leadership vote she appeared likely to lose, a rules change reformers called an audacious power grab that critics said would let former chair Clarence Norman, who resigned in 2005 after a corruption conviction, keep voting on party leadership forever. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries came out against the overhaul.

    The City Reporter New York Focus Brooklyn Paper