BEDFORD-STUYVESANT — Brooklyn Community Board 3 chair Tremaine Wright claimed victory in the primary race for central Brooklyn’s 56th Assembly District seat Tuesday.
Wright faced off against community activist and fellow Bedford-Stuyvesant native Karen Cherry, taking home nearly 58 percent of the votes in the Democratic contest with 3,679 votes, while Cherry pulled in 2,577 votes with all districts reporting as of Tuesday evening.
As election night came to a close, Wright was joined at a Bed-Stuy celebration by family members, friends and Assemblywoman Annette Robinson, who backed Wright during her campaign.
Robinson supported Wright as her successor for the 56th District seat, which covers Bed-Stuy and northern Crown Heights.
“I want to take a moment and pause and say thank you, because she has been a tremendous support and mentor to me during this process. She has worked to open doors for me,” Wright said.
The current assemblywoman called it a “labor of love.”
“This district has a legacy in terms of that Al Vann served this district for 27 years in the New York State Assembly,” Robinson continued.
“I went behind him serving 14 years in the Assembly and also served in the New York City Council…We have had a true legacy of leadership of people who wanted to serve. And that is what Tremaine has demonstrated, that she wanted to serve.”
Wright held positions on Bed-Stuy’s community board for more than a decade and took the reins in 2013.
In addition to working as an attorney and helping found the Brooklyn Alliance for Safer Streets, she owned Common Grounds coffee shop on Tompkins Avenue, which closed in the fall of 2015 as she geared up for Assembly run.
Challenger Cherry worked for former Rep. Ed Towns and currently serves as community liaison for Assemblyman Erik Dilan.
Voters also hit the polls for the 55th Assembly District seat, which encompasses Ocean Hill and Brownsville.
Incumbent Assemblywoman Latrice Walker won out over with nearly 73 percent of the votes over City Councilwoman Darlene Mealy.
