The sleepy special election in for the Brooklyn City Council seat vacated by Yvette Clarke has its first legal controversy.
District Leader Jesse Hamilton is suing Wellington Sharpe over the name of his party.
Hamilton’s party is called “Family Values and Money Matters.” Sharpe’s is called “Family Values.”
Hamilton’s campaign wants an injunction “barring Mr. Sharpe from engaging in any further fraudulent use of the name ‘Family Values’ designed to defraud voters and thwart the Democratic process.”
I called Wellington Sharpe, who seemed happy to respond.
“Number one, my attorney was the person who created the name. He first used it back in 1998 for a client of his. My attorney is Mitch Alter. He can go through the history of that name, long before Jesse Hamilton thought of anything about this.
Number two, we filed before Jesse Hamilton.
Number three, it’s a totally different name.
Mitch can prove that he’s used that name. Dan Quayle also used it way back when.”
So, Jesse Hamilton does not have any claim to that name. In fact, no one can claim Family Values as uniquely theirs.”
This echoes a complaint some people have had about the Independence Party, but that’s for another day.
Update: A list of party names used in previous special elections is after the jump, courtesy of an astute reader who follows this kind of stuff.
– Azi Paybarah
Parties Used in Special Elections
2001
Bronx 15th
Unity Party-Joel Rivera
Peopels Voice-Edwin Ortiz
2002
Brooklyn 38th
Better Future-George Martinez
Best Qualified-Sara Gonzalez
Education First-Edward Rodriguez
2003
Brooklyn 43rd
Most Qualified-Vincent Gentile
No New Taxed-Rosemarie O’Keefe
Neighborhood First -Stephen Harrison
Community First – Carlo Scissura
United District – Joanne Seminara
Bronx 18th
Community First-Kenneth Padilla
New BX Alliance-Pedro Espada
