Black D.A. candidate gets new election challenger as Democrat he defeated switches to GOP

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NEW YORK — Despite conceding the Democratic primary to former federal prosecutor Kenneth Thompson last month, Brooklyn District Attorney Charles J. Hynes announced Thursday he will reenter the race as a Republican.

Hynes was already on the ballot on both Republican and Conservative lines and enjoyed support from Republicans throughout his campaign. News he would reenter the race came as a surprise to many, however, given repeated assertions from the district attorney that he would not pursue re-election on another party’s ticket. In fact, a spokesperson for Hynes said shortly after his primary loss, that he wouldn’t challenge Thompson and wanted to exit in a “classy way.” Hynes even promised in his concession speech to prepare a “smooth transition” for Thompson, who won by a margin of 11 points.

“We will probably meet in the end of September, early October to begin the transition and make sure the public safety needs of this county are given top priority,” he said.

According to reports, Hynes – a lifelong Democrat – changed his mind about running at the urging of supporters and GOP leaders. He is expected to make an official announcement at a rally planned for Tuesday.

Campaign’s not over

Thompson’s win over Hynes in last month’s primary was celebrated as a signal of much-needed change for the Brooklyn DA’s office, where Hynes has drawn considerable controversy throughout his 24 years in office. In an interview with theGrio after his primary win, Thompson made it clear, however, that Hynes’ name on the ballot meant the campaign still wasn’t over, foreshadowing Thursday’s announcement.

Related: Is a black man poised to become Brooklyn’s DA?        

“People think that I have it in the bag but there’s a general election coming up,” Thompson said. “I’ll still need everybody to come out and vote on November 5 because the guy I beat is still on the ballot as a Republican.”
In a statement Thursday, Thompson expressed disappointment with Hynes’ decision to reenter the race.

“It’s sad that Mr. Hynes refuses to accept the will of the people, as he repeatedly pledged to do last month,” said James Freedland, a spokesman for Thompson. “We look forward to a clear contrast between Democrat Ken Thompson and Republican Joe Hynes, who has lied to the public so that he can run with Joe Lhota and the Tea Party forces in the Republican Party who have shut down the government. And we are confident all of Brooklyn’s voters will render the same overwhelming verdict as they did in the primary.”

“Ken Thompson won the primary fair and square. This is no time for Joe Hynes to turn his back on the Democratic Party,” said chairman of the Brooklyn Democratic Committee, Frank R. Seddio, in a statement, Thursday. “The cynical Republican-led effort to create an internecine feud among Democrats in the race for Brooklyn district attorney will end in failure.”

Other experts agree that Hynes will have a hard time winning as a Republican in Brooklyn, where only 10 percent of voters are registered Republicans. In fact, the county has not elected a Republican to be Brooklyn’s top prosecutor since the 1920’s. In addition, many of Hynes’ major Democratic supporters have rallied around Thompson, including mayoral candidate Bill de Blasio – who is expected to be a strong magnet for Democratic voters at the top of the ticket, particularly in his home borough of Brooklyn.

Follow Donovan X. Ramsey at @iDXR