Renee Collymore Wins Race for Female Leader in the 57th Assembly District

Renee Collymore handily won the seat for female Democratic leader of Brooklyn's 57th Assembly District. 

The Fort Greene resident won 42.4 percent of the vote in , beating out sociology professor Wendy Washington and dancer and union activist Faryce Moore. 

The 57th Assembly District covers Prospect Heights, Fort Greene, Clinton Hill and parts of Bed-Stuy and Crown Heights.

With 100 percent of the precincts reporting, Collymore received 2,686 votes, or 42.4 percent. Washington came in second with 1,890 votes, or 29.9 percent and Faryce Moore won 1,755 votes, or 27.7 percent, according to the Board of Elections. 

"This was a sweet victory for me," said Collymore, who ran unsuccessfully against Olanike Alabi for the seat in 2010.

District leaders, also called committeewomen and committeemen, are unpaid representatives of the New York State Democratic Party. 

Brooklyn has 42 elected district leaders, one female and one male in each assembly district. There are also 11 at-large district leader positions, who are appointed by the county leader.  

The group does such behind-the-scenes work as organizing local meetings, hiring poll workers, electing judges and , a position currently held by Assemblyman , who for the leader role following his censure for . 

The position is also frequently a stepping stone to higher office—, the 57th district's male leader, was , but will also keep the committeeman seat, because nobody ran to replace him, a campaign spokeswoman told The Local. 

"This is an important victory for the district," Collymore told Patch. "I look forward to working closely with the male District Leader [Mosley, who will retain his post] to fight for what's important in our neighborhood."

Born and raised in the Fort Greene/Clinton Hill area, Collymore founded the Parliament Democratic Club in 2009. She serves on the and is the landlord of the . She is also president of the Vanderbilt Avenue Block Association.

Earlier this week, that if elected, she would "stand up for what's right in our community," looking out for the needs of senior citizens and small businesses in particular. She is also deeply concerned about gentrification forcing people out of the neighborhood and sees rising property taxes as an issue that needs to be addressed.

Collymore noted that district leaders do not have power over many pressing issues facing the district.

"But we do have a say in selecting [state] supreme and civil court judges, commissioners and other people for higher office. So I would have make sure that we have a close relationship with our Assembly member and our Council member so I can have influence in the process," she said. 

She added, "My position would be the position of the people. Whatever they want, I'll push for."