Government and politics in Brooklyn
Encyclopedia
Each of the city's five counties (coterminous with each borough
) has its own criminal court system and District Attorney
, the chief public prosecutor who is directly elected by popular vote. Charles J. Hynes
, a Democrat, has been the District Attorney of Kings County since 1989. Brooklyn has 16 City Council members, the largest number of any of the five boroughs. Brooklyn has 18 of the city's 59 community districts, each served by an unpaid Community Board with advisory powers under the city's Uniform Land Use Review Procedure. Each board has a paid district manager who acts as an interlocutor with city agencies.
in a national presidential election
since Calvin Coolidge
in 1924. In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama
received 79.4% of the vote in Brooklyn and Republican John McCain
received 20.0%.
Six U.S. Congressional District
s (out of 435) include parts of Brooklyn. Two of those districts fall entirely within the borough.
The United States Postal Service
operates post offices in Brooklyn. The Brooklyn Main Post Office is located at 271 Cadman Plaza
East in Downtown Brooklyn
.
Borough (New York City)
New York City, one of the largest cities in the world, is composed of five boroughs. Each borough now has the same boundaries as the county it is in. County governments were dissolved when the city consolidated in 1898, along with all city, town, and village governments within each county...
) has its own criminal court system and District Attorney
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
, the chief public prosecutor who is directly elected by popular vote. Charles J. Hynes
Charles J. Hynes
Charles Joseph Hynes is the current district attorney of Kings County, New York . A Democrat, Hynes was first elected to office in 1989 and is currently serving a fifth term.-Life and career:...
, a Democrat, has been the District Attorney of Kings County since 1989. Brooklyn has 16 City Council members, the largest number of any of the five boroughs. Brooklyn has 18 of the city's 59 community districts, each served by an unpaid Community Board with advisory powers under the city's Uniform Land Use Review Procedure. Each board has a paid district manager who acts as an interlocutor with city agencies.
Federal representation
As it is the case with sister boroughs Manhattan and the Bronx, Brooklyn has not voted for a RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
in a national presidential election
United States presidential election
Elections for President and Vice President of the United States are indirect elections in which voters cast ballots for a slate of electors of the U.S. Electoral College, who in turn directly elect the President and Vice President...
since Calvin Coolidge
Calvin Coolidge
John Calvin Coolidge, Jr. was the 30th President of the United States . A Republican lawyer from Vermont, Coolidge worked his way up the ladder of Massachusetts state politics, eventually becoming governor of that state...
in 1924. In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
received 79.4% of the vote in Brooklyn and Republican John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
received 20.0%.
| Year | Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... |
Democrat Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 20.0% 151,872 | 79.4% 603,525 |
| 2004 | 24.3% 167,149 | 74.9% 514,973 |
| 2000 | 15.7% 96,605 | 80.6% 497,468 |
| 1996 | 15.1% 81,406 | 80.1% 432,232 |
| 1992 | 22.9% 133,344 | 70.7% 411,183 |
| 1988 | 32.6% 230,064 | 66.3% 368,518 |
| 1984 | 38.3% 285,477 | 61.3% 328,379 |
| 1980 | 38.4% 200,306 | 55.4% 288,893 |
| 1976 | 31.1% 190,728 | 68.3% 419,382 |
| 1972 | 49.0% 373,903 | 50.8% 387,768 |
| 1968 | 32.0% 247,936 | 63.1% 489,174 |
| 1964 | 25.0% 229,291 | 74.8% 684,839 |
| 1960 | 33.5% 327,497 | 66.2% 646,582 |
| 1956 | 45.2% 460,456 | 54.7% 557,655 |
Six U.S. Congressional District
Congressional district
A congressional district is “a geographical division of a state from which one member of the House of Representatives is elected.”Congressional Districts are made up of three main components, a representative, constituents, and the specific land area that both the representative and the...
s (out of 435) include parts of Brooklyn. Two of those districts fall entirely within the borough.
- Ed TownsEd TownsEdolphus "Ed" Towns is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1983, and the former Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. He is a member of the Democratic Party...
(D-NY) represents 10th Congressional districtNew York's 10th congressional districtNew York's 10th Congressional District is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives located in Brooklyn, New York City. It includes the neighborhoods of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn Heights, Brownsville, Canarsie, East New York and Ocean Hill, as well as parts of Fort...
, which covers Fort GreeneFort Greene, BrooklynFort Greene is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. Part of Brooklyn Community Board 2, Fort Greene is listed on the New York State Registry and on the National Register of Historic Places, and is a New York City-designated Historic District...
, Bedford Stuyvesant, BrownsvilleBrownsville, BrooklynBrownsville is a residential neighborhood located in eastern Brooklyn, New York City.The total land area is one square mile, and the ZIP code for the neighborhood is 11212....
, East New YorkEast New York, BrooklynEast New York is a residential neighborhood located in the Eastern section of the borough of Brooklyn in New York City, United States. The neighborhood is part of Brooklyn Community Board 5...
, and Canarsie.
- Yvette Clarke (D-NY) represents the 11th Congressional DistrictNew York's 11th congressional districtNew York's 11th Congressional District is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives located in Brooklyn. It includes the neighborhoods of Brownsville, Crown Heights, East Flatbush, Flatbush, Kensington, Park Slope, Prospect Heights, and Prospect-Lefferts Gardens...
encompassing Park SlopePark Slope, BrooklynPark Slope is a neighborhood in western Brooklyn, New York City's most populous borough. Park Slope is roughly bounded by Prospect Park West to the east, Fourth Avenue to the west, Flatbush Avenue to the north, and 15th Street to the south, though other definitions are sometimes offered. Generally...
, Crown HeightsCrown Heights, BrooklynCrown Heights is a neighborhood in the central portion of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The main thoroughfare through this neighborhood is Eastern Parkway, a tree-lined boulevard designed by Frederick Law Olmsted extending two miles east-west.Originally, the area was known as Crow Hill....
, FlatbushFlatbush, BrooklynFlatbush is a community of the Borough of Brooklyn, a part of New York City, consisting of several neighborhoods.The name Flatbush is an Anglicization of the Dutch language Vlacke bos ....
, East FlatbushEast Flatbush, BrooklynEast Flatbush is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The area is part of Brooklyn Community Board 17 Though the borders of East Flatbush are highly subjective, its northern border is roughly at Empire Boulevard and East New York Avenue east of East 91st Street, its southern...
and Prospect Heights. It was created by the 1965 Voting Rights ActVoting Rights ActThe Voting Rights Act of 1965 is a landmark piece of national legislation in the United States that outlawed discriminatory voting practices that had been responsible for the widespread disenfranchisement of African Americans in the U.S....
with the intention of increasing African-American representation in the United States CongressUnited States CongressThe United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
. In 1968 the district elected Shirley ChisholmShirley ChisholmShirley Anita St. Hill Chisholm was an American politician, educator, and author. She was a Congresswoman, representing New York's 12th Congressional District for seven terms from 1969 to 1983. In 1968, she became the first black woman elected to Congress...
, the first African-American woman to hold a seat in the Congress and a founding member of the Congressional Black CaucusCongressional Black CaucusThe Congressional Black Caucus is an organization representing the black members of the United States Congress. Membership is exclusive to blacks, and its chair in the 112th Congress is Representative Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri.-Aims:...
. The district's population of 654,361 is 57% black, 24% white, and 12% Latino.
- Nydia VelazquezNydia VelázquezNydia Margarita Velázquez is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993. She is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes residential areas of three boroughs...
(D-NY) represents the 12thNew York's 12th congressional districtNew York's 12th Congressional District is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives located in New York City. It includes parts of Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan...
district, which encapsulates BushwickBushwick, BrooklynBushwick is a neighborhood in the northern part of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood, formerly Brooklyn's 18th Ward, is now part of Brooklyn Community Board 4...
, GreenpointGreenpoint, BrooklynGreenpoint is the northernmost neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. It is bordered on the southwest by Williamsburg at the Bushwick inlet, on the southeast by the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway and East Williamsburg, on the north by Newtown Creek and Long Island City, Queens at the...
, Cypress HillsCypress Hills, BrooklynCypress Hills is a sub-section of the East New York neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York City, lying north of City Line and south of Cypress Hills Cemetery, in the far northeastern corner of Brooklyn. It is abutted on the west by Bushwick and on the east, across the Brooklyn–Queens border, by...
, WilliamsburgWilliamsburg, BrooklynWilliamsburg is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, bordering Greenpoint to the north, Bedford-Stuyvesant to the south, Bushwick to the east and the East River to the west. The neighborhood is part of Brooklyn Community Board 1. The neighborhood is served by the NYPD's 90th ...
, Red Hook, and Sunset ParkSunset Park, BrooklynSunset Park is a neighborhood in the western section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn, USA. It is bounded by Greenwood Heights to the north, Borough Park to the east, Bay Ridge to the south, and Upper New York Bay to the west...
, as well as Manhattan's Lower East SideLower East SideThe Lower East Side, LES, is a neighborhood in the southeastern part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is roughly bounded by Allen Street, East Houston Street, Essex Street, Canal Street, Eldridge Street, East Broadway, and Grand Street....
and parts of western QueensQueensQueens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
.
- Anthony D. WeinerAnthony D. WeinerAnthony David Weiner is a former U.S. Representative who served from January 1999 until June 2011. A Democrat, Weiner held the seat previously occupied by Democrat Charles Schumer and won seven terms, never receiving less than 59 percent of the vote...
(D-NY) was the representative of the 9th districtNew York's 9th congressional districtNew York's 9th Congressional District is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in New York City. It includes parts of southern Brooklyn and south central Queens...
until he was forced to resign from Congress due to a scandal, which left the 9th districtNew York's 9th congressional districtNew York's 9th Congressional District is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in New York City. It includes parts of southern Brooklyn and south central Queens...
vacant. Robert TurnerRobert TurnerRobert Turner is an American professional poker player based in Downey, California.Turner is known for introducing Omaha hold 'em into poker-playing circles...
(R-NY) won the special election to represent the Ninth District. The Ninth District includes much of central and southeastern Brooklyn, as well as portions of south-central Queens.Party affiliation of Brooklyn registered voters
(relative percentages)Party 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 Democratic 69.7 69.2 70.0 70.1 70.6 70.3 70.7 70.8 70.8 71.0 Republican 10.1 10.1 10.1 10.1 10.2 10.5 10.9 11.1 11.3 11.5 Other 3.7 3.9 3.8 3.6 2.9 2.8 2.5 2.8 2.3 2.3 No affiliation 16.5 16.9 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.5 15.9 15.5 15.4 15.2 - The West Side (Manhattan)West Side (Manhattan)The West Side of Manhattan refers to the side of Manhattan Island which abuts the Hudson River and faces New Jersey. Fifth Avenue, Central Park, and lower Broadway separate it from the East Side. The major neighborhoods on the West Side are West Harlem, Morningside Heights, Manhattan Valley, Upper...
-based 8th DistrictNew York's 8th congressional districtNew York's Eighth Congressional District for the United States House of Representatives in New York City. It is split into two sections. The northern portion of it includes most of Manhattan's Upper West Side, and continues south to include most parts of Hell's Kitchen, East Village, Chelsea, SoHo,...
is represented by Jerry Nadler (D-NY). The 8th District takes in portions of south Brooklyn including Coney IslandConey IslandConey Island is a peninsula and beach on the Atlantic Ocean in southern Brooklyn, New York, United States. The site was formerly an outer barrier island, but became partially connected to the mainland by landfill....
, SeagateSeagate, BrooklynSea Gate is a private, gated community at the far western end of Coney Island at the southwestern tip of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. It contains mostly single-family homes, some directly on Gravesend Bay...
, Brighton BeachBrighton BeachBrighton Beach is an oceanside neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. As of 2000, it has a population of 75,692 with a total of 31,228 households.-Location:...
, Boro Park and parts of Bath Beach. It also includes the piers in Red Hook and Sunset Park.
- The Staten IslandStaten IslandStaten Island is a borough of New York City, New York, United States, located in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay...
-based 13th districtNew York's 13th congressional districtNew York's 13th Congressional District is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives located in New York City. It includes all of Staten Island and the neighborhoods of Bay Ridge, Bensonhurst, Dyker Heights, and Gravesend in Brooklyn.A swing district, it is represented...
, was represented by Republican Vito FossellaVito FossellaVito John Fossella, Jr. is a U.S. Republican politician from the state of New York who formerly represented the state's 13th Congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives for six terms, from 1997 to 2009 serving as the lone Republican from New York City. Fossella, a Staten Island...
until he retired from Congress in 2009. Then it elected Michael McMahonMichael McMahonMichael E. "Mike" McMahon is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 2009 until 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party. He was previously a member of the New York City Council....
, a Democrat. However, in 2010 he was defeated by Michael GrimmMichael Grimm (politician)Michael Gerard Grimm is the U.S. Representative for , which consists of Staten Island and parts of Brooklyn. He is a member of the Republican Party. He is a former FBI agent, businessman, and U.S. Marine, having served in the Gulf War....
, which returned the seat to the Republicans. The 13th District incorporates some of the more conservative areas of the borough, including most of Bay Ridge and Bensonhurst and all of Gravesend and Dyker Heights.
The United States Postal Service
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
operates post offices in Brooklyn. The Brooklyn Main Post Office is located at 271 Cadman Plaza
Cadman Plaza
Cadman Plaza Park is located on the border between the Brooklyn Heights historic neighborhood and Downtown Brooklyn. It is bounded by Cadman Plaza East and West , and by Brooklyn Bridge on the north and Tillary Street on the south.South of this park, between Tillary and Johnson Streets, lies the...
East in Downtown Brooklyn
Downtown Brooklyn
Downtown Brooklyn is the third largest central business district in New York City , and is located in the northwestern section of the borough of Brooklyn...
.