Den Dekker Replacing Lafayette on Ballot
Democrats in Queens this morning picked district leader Michael Den Dekker to replace Assemblyman Ivan Lafayette on the ballot in September.
“I am honored to be asked to replace such an esteemed member of the assembly,” Den Dekker told me in a brief interview. “I was amazed that this process even happened, and I was lucky enough to even be asked.”
“No one thought he would step down,” he went on, adding, “We just follow the rules on how to fill a vacancy.”
The vacancy was created when Lafayette submitted petitions to get on the ballot for reelection this fall and then declined the nomination to instead take a job with the governor. Because it was too so late in the process, Layfayette dropping off the ballot forced a vacancy that had to be filled by Lafayette's committee to fill vacancies, not by voters.
Den Dekker--in addition to having a string of acting credits--has been close with county leaders in the past and served as an occasional driver to Tom Manton, the late Queens County Democratic leader.
Den Dekker's selection was a something of a surprise--many people expected Lafayette’s chief of staff, Maureen Allen, to take his place.
Before Lafayette dropped out, Marlene Tapper had also filed petitions. Assuming she stays on the ballot, this should mean there will be a primary.
Of course, if Lafayette had not filed petitions -- and indicated he earlier that he planned to leave the Assembly -- one expects there would have been far more candidates for the Democratic nomination for that oh-so-rare commodity: an open Assembly seat.
Could avoiding that kind of free-for-all have something to do with the timing of Lafyette's decision -- and that of Luis Diaz in the Bronx, who also filed and then had a change of heart.
Queens could not have been blessed more by Michael Den Dekker taking the place of Mr. Lafayette on the ballot.