Assembly Hopeful Dedicates Campaign Headquarters

In the storefront which the Kertchme Pizza Shop once occupied, Menachem Raitport, candidate for New York State Assembly, opened his new campaign headquarters Sunday evening with political activists and supports turning out.

Former Congressman and current Queens County Republican chair Bob Turner spoke, offering anecdotes of his experience in the Congress. He pointed out the national and international implications of his largely-Jewish district’s Republican victory, and stressed that, as in his run, every vote counts.

For Brooklyn Republican chair Craig A. Eaton, who is also the NYC vice-chair of the State party, spoke next, the victory of Mr. Turner, and subsequent win of former State Senator David Storobin, Republican-Conservative of Sheepshead Bay, joined with a victory for Crown Heights candidate Raitport, will send a clear message, that the residents of these neighborhoods are no longer taken for granted as Democrats.

Brooklyn Conservative Party vice-chair Francine Vella-Marrone then spoke, about the values of the Conservative Party, including family values, lesser government and respect for the religious institutions, and how, increasingly, Jewish neighborhoods are turning to the Conservative party’s candidates as a way of sending a message.

Raitport spoke, focusing on his background as a businessman operating his meat store on Kingston Avenue, a charity volunteer working on behalf of young couples, a member of the NYC Emergence Response Team, and a member of Shomrim, and on what he described as the pressing needs for the district: Support for those who use the private and parochial schools, tying increased building development to amenities for affordable housing and parking, slashing wasteful government spending and taxes, cutting red tape for business, and unhandcuffing the police, to fight crime, rather than spending increased time for summonses; and moving away bicycle- and bus-only- lanes when they interfere with commercial traffic; and a shift in early education towards making vocational educational available. These changes would directly increase employment.

Present as local political leaders were Stuart Balberg, Republican District Leader and Cartrell Gore, Conservative District Leader.

Raitport plans on hosting voter registration drives in the coming days.