By Heather Grossmann
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
The scheming, smoke-filled backrooms of Manhattan politics has given birth to a new — as yet unnamed — downtown political club, the offspring of a rift within the Downtown Independent Democrats.
The emergence of the new club, which held its inaugural meeting Monday night at Independence Plaza in TriBeCa, is viewed by many city Democrats as a bi-product of the recent bitter battle for the District 1 Council Seat.
The Downtown Independent Democrats, which has ruled lower Manhattan politics for close to 40 years, chose to endorse Pete Gleason over incumbent Councilman Alan Gerson for City Council.
Neither Gleason, nor Gerson won — that honor went to the first Chinese-American Councilwoman, Margaret Chin — but bitterness over the endorsement endures.
“This group is the result of clear cut sour grapes after an election,” Gleason said of the new club.
Not so, said David Reck, a downtown Democratic district leader who is a founding member of the new group.
“D.I.D. is a dead club, we’re moving on,” said Reck. “We’re into having a political club that has community people involved and connects public officials to the community.”
Reck said the D.I.D. had “stopped functioning and did absolutely nothing in the past year.”
According to Reck, Monday night's meeting had about 45 members, most of them former officers and members of D.I.D., including District Leader Linda Belfer and Community Board 1 board member, Bill Love.
But the D.I.D. does not seem particularly concerned about the loss of some of its members nor its ability to influence upcoming elections.
“This defecting faction will make the Downtown Independent Democrats stronger,” Gleason said.
Outgoing Councilmember Alan Gerson has been invited to join the new club, and Reck says that future Councilwoman Margaret Chin is welcome to join as well.
He is also hopeful about the support of State Senators Daniel Squadron and Jerry Nadler, as well as Councilwoman Rosie Mendez.
One thing both clubs can agree on is their mutual right to exist. "That’s democracy," both Gleason and Reck said in separate interviews.
