Citizens Union Issues Endorsement for Brooklyn's 40th Council District
Zenobia McNally and Wellington Sharpe Secure Joint Endorsement in Crowded Field of Talented Candidates

The historic good-government organization, Citizens Union, announced its support for two candidates running for the City Council seat being vacated by Yvette Clark in central Brooklyn. After extensive interviews with the candidates for the 40th council district, Citizens Union has issued a joint endorsement for Zenobia McNally and Wellington Sharpe. While the organization prefers to issue a single endorsement, it found that these two candidates stood out amongst a crowded field of well-qualified candidates. With ten candidates vying to fill the shoes of the former council member, narrowing the field to support just one candidate was difficult.

"From the top to bottom of the ballot, voters in Brooklyn's 40th district have a wealth of well-qualified candidates to choose from on Election Day," remarked Doug Israel, Director of Public Policy and Advocacy for Citizens Union. "Zenobia McNally and Wellington Sharpe top that list of impressive candidates," continued Israel, "and the Council would benefit from their knowledge of the district's needs and their commitment to building bridges and finding realistic solutions to the city's most pressing issues."

Zenobia McNally, local business owner and community activist, ran against Yvette Clarke in 2005 and is continuing her quest to represent the voters of central Brooklyn. McNally showed a strong commitment to continuing her work to create affordable housing and economic opportunities in the district. She envisions a vibrant mixed use community along Flatbush Avenue and would work with developers, local businesses and community leaders and pursue the proper "up-zoning" of the existing lots to do so. To tackle the health issues that plague the district, McNally advocates for a more inclusive and widespread public education program that presents information in a culturally sensitive format. She has vowed to work with the Department of Education and local schools to ensure that school yards are open on weekends and after school to reduce gang activity and crime in the neighborhood. Citizens Union is impressed with McNally's ambitious and energetic approach to serving her community and believes she has the tools to make a great councilmember.

Another small business owner, Wellington Sharpe is the President and CEO of a child development center in Brooklyn, and has been active in health care issues serving on the community advisory boards of two local hospitals. Citing the district's high incidences of heart disease and HIV, Sharpe proposes mobile medical vans to provide basic, inexpensive healthcare screening services to all members of the community regardless of citizenship or socioeconomic status. He also believes that a long-term investment in youth-oriented sex education is the most effective way to lower HIV infection rates. If elected, Sharpe pledges to form a small business task force to create greater economic opportunity in the district and would devote energies to helping women-owned businesses get access to funds they need to succeed. A previous candidate for both city council and state legislature, Sharpe has generated the name recognition, funding and community support that could help propel him to office. Citizens Union supports Sharpe's quest for public office and is confident his expertise in health care and education will be a valuable asset to district residents and the city if elected.

Citizens Union was highly encouraged by other talented candidates with a clear grasp on the issues affecting their communities, including: Jesse Hamilton an attorney and committed school board president who ran against the remnants of the Clarence Norman political machine for State Senate and District Leader in 2006; Mohammad "Mo" Razvi, a community activist who has been a successful facilitator of positive community and race relations; and Joel Toney, former UN Ambassador for St. Vincent and the Grenadines who has played an active role in improving parks and economic opportunity in the district. All of these candidates have proved their worth for the borough of Brooklyn and will certainly continue their great work whether elected to office or not.

For more than a century, Citizens Union has served as a watchdog for the public interest and an advocate for the common good. Citizens Union was founded to address the corruption of Tammany Hall in the affairs of City of New York. Over the years, it has successfully advanced a broad platform of reform to open up government, ensure government accountability, encourage citizen involvement, and provide for clean and honest elections. As part of its non-partisan work, it takes seriously its responsibility to inform and serve the citizens of New York City which is why Citizens Union has evaluated and supported candidates for elected office since 1910.

To help the voters delve more deeply into candidates' positions, the candidates' full responses to Citizens Union questionnaires have also been posted on the Citizens Union website, www.citizensunion.org.