Family Values in Brooklyn

Tue, 23 Jan 2007 15:00:00 -0400

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

Observer » Family Values in Brooklyn

Family Values in Brooklyn