Simcha Felder Scoffs At Democratic Push To Boot Him: ‘Are They Going To Build A Wall?’
![](https://images.forwardcdn.com/image/970x/center/images/cropped/website-edited-0-1522875129.jpg)
State Senator Simcha Felder Image by New York State Senate
New York Democrats passed resolutions Wednesday night backing primary opposition to turncoat state Sen. Simcha Felder — and moving to kick him out of the party.
Party leaders gathered at an annual convention demanded Brooklyn party leaders move to boot Felder, who has handed control of the evenly divided chamber to Republicans by caucusing with them.
“He is not a true Democrat, but a political opportunist with no loyalty to the party,” the measure said, according to the New York Daily News.
The Democrats also backed a motion calling for financial and political support for Blake Morris, a neighborhood activist who is taking on Felder in a September primary, or another challenger in Felder’s south Brooklyn district.
Felder scoffed at the moves, saying through a spokesman: “Are they going to build a wall to keep me out?,” the News reported.
Felder has run on both major party lines and analysts consider him a powerful force in the district which was drawn to include Orthodox and Hasidic neighborhoods in Boro Park and Midwood.
The political spotlight on Felder has become harsher since a separate rump group of eight so-called “independent” Democrats rejoined the party fold. Some insiders believe Democrats have a good chance of winning several GOP=held seats in November, making Felder’s role less important.
A message from our editor-in-chief Jodi Rudoren
![](https://forward.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Jodi-Headshot.jpg)
We're building on 127 years of independent journalism to help you develop deeper connections to what it means to be Jewish today.
With so much at stake for the Jewish people right now — war, rising antisemitism, a high-stakes U.S. presidential election — American Jews depend on the Forward's perspective, integrity and courage.
— Jodi Rudoren, Editor-in-Chief