In the District 48 race, Council Member Inna Vernikov defeated former Council Member Ari Kagan by a resounding 32% margin in one of the most heated Republican primary contests in southern Brooklyn’s recent history. As a result, there is a great rift among party officials, voters, and community leaders inside the local GOP.
Kagan, who had just lost to Democrat Justin Brannan for reelection in nearby District 47, went into the contest anticipating Vernikov would run for the state Senate. With the support of Assembly Members Alec Brook-Krasny and Michael Novakhov, as well as former State Senator Marty Golden, he pushed forward when she continued to run.
Campaign Clashes and GOP Infighting
Public disagreements characterized the campaign, especially between Vernikov and Novakhov, who supported Kagan and chastised her for being uncooperative. Battles on social media made it difficult to distinguish between the candidate and surrogate; some observers weren’t sure if Kagan or Novakhov was Vernikov’s true opponent.
The night before the election, Vernikov signaled a major rift by withdrawing her support for Brooklyn GOP Chair Richie Barsamian. Later, Barsamian lost his Republican primary in District 47 by 16 votes due to claims of voter fraud, which the Brooklyn District Attorney is currently looking into.
Vernikov’s Priorities for the Next Term
Following her victory, Vernikov expressed gratitude to voters for “seeing through all of the terrible lies” and promised to keep putting the NYPD’s support, public safety, the immigration situation, and neighborhood character first. She expressed alarm over Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral campaign, describing his proposals as “dangerous” and reminiscent of communism, and reiterated her opposition to the proposed Coney Island casino.
Vernikov also promised to combat antisemitism until “Jews finally feel safe” in public places and attacked sanctuary policies in New York City, saying they exacerbate the migrant situation.
Focus on Constituent Services
Vernikov’s office has secured millions of dollars for district projects, closed over 10,000 constituent problems, and provided fast remedies, such as fixing a water fountain in Manhattan Beach in less than 48 hours. The restoration of Kingsborough Beach and the installation of a stop sign at the intersection of Avenue W and East 27th Street are recent achievements.
In the general election on November 4, she will run against Anzhela Pinkhasov, the Democratic nominee.
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