UPPER EAST SIDE — As competition for Jessica Lappin's District 5 City Council seat heats up, the outgoing member has given her choice for successor.
Lappin, who is leaving to run for Manhattan Borough President, officially announced her support of State Assembly Member Micah Kellner.
She was joined in her backing by Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney.
Their nod comes several months after Maloney and Kellner announced their support for Lappin's borough president bid.
Both Lappin and Maloney said that they are "proud" to back the Democratic pol, who has represented the Upper East Side, Yorkville and Roosevelt Island in New York State Assembly since 2007, advocating frequently for the disabled and animal rights advocates.
Kellner, who chairs the Assembly Committee on Libraries and Education Technology, won their support because of his advocacy for health care, environmental protections and education, they said.
Lappin and Maloney were also fans of Kellner's free-thinking, they said.
"Micah Kellner is an independent voice who has fought for our community and gotten results," Maloney said in a statement. "He has the dedication to public service that our community and our city deserve."
Lappin echoed similar sentiments.
"Micah is an independent and thoughtful leader," she said. "I look forward to voting for him.”
Kellner, whose other big-name endorsements include the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1500, expressed thanks for Lappin and Maloney's greenlight.
“I’m excited to have the opportunity to serve in the City Council and continue working alongside these two dynamic and effective leaders on behalf of our community,” he said in the statement.