Frank Seddio Likely to Replace Vito Lopez as Head of Brooklyn Dems, Despite Calls for Reform

The vote to replace Vito Lopez as head of the Brooklyn Democratic Party, won't take place for weeks, but the jockeying is happening right now, with those backing a longtime insider up against those calling for someone from the Reform wing of the pary.

The longtime assemblyman announced Tuesday that he following his censure Friday for allegedly .

The borough's black district leaders met Wednesday night to discuss the possibility of backing Assemblyman Karim Camara, D-Crown Heights, against the frontrunner, retired Canarsie Assemblyman Frank Seddio. But doing so would involve either asking a current district leader to resign so Camara could take his place or amending the rules. 

Camara, a pastor, andleads othe Assembly’s Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Caucus, has been in the Assembly since 2005.

Others are calling for Boerum Hill district leader Jo Ann Simon to be elected, making her the first female leader to hold the post. A civil rights lawyer, Simon has been a district leader since 2004 and was a founding member of the Atlantic Yards watchdog coalition, Brooklyn Speaks. 

But meanwhile pols are lining up behind Seddio, who received an endorsement today from Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz and has hired Democratic consultant George Arzt as a consultant. 

Seddio, who recently retired as the Judge of the Surrogate Court of Kings County, served as an assemblyman representing Carnarsie from 1998 to 2005. He has aldo been New York City's commissioner of traffic enforcement and was a police officer for 23 years.