Manhattan Democratic Party boss Keith Wright is endorsing Brooklyn Councilman Justin Brannan’s 2025 bid for city comptroller, dealing a blow to Mark Levine, Manhattan’s borough president who is running against Brannan.
Wright, an ex-Assembly member from Harlem who has been the Manhattan Democratic Party’s leader since 2009, said Wednesday it’s rare for him to “endorse a candidate so enthusiastically and without reservation.”
“Justin’s deep understanding of our city’s budget and ability to speak truth to power make him uniquely qualified to be the peoples’ comptroller,” Wright told the Daily News.
Joining him in endorsing Brannan was uptown Manhattan state Sen. Robert Jackson, who called Brannan a “tireless advocate” for education and housing.
Levine has been Manhattan BP since 2022 and represented a section of the borough in the City Council for eight years before that. He has also racked up a raft of prominent endorsements, including from Brooklyn BP Antonio Reynoso, and is leading Brannan in fundraising for the June 24 Democratic comptroller primary election.
