Wieder to Run for Assembly in Newly Drawn Majority Orthodox District in Rockland

Rockland County Legislator Aron Wieder will soon announce a run for state Assembly in a newly drawn district that is majority Orthodox Jewish, multiple sources close to Wieder told Hamodia on Tuesday.

Rockland’s Orthodox community has for years been divided into three Assembly districts, and never comprised more than 30% of any one district. Wieder has in the past run for the 98th Assembly seat, losing in the general election in 2016, and losing in the Democratic primary in 2012 and 2014. But in the newly proposed district lines drawn by the state Democratic majority, the 97th Assembly District is majority Orthodox, giving Wieder a serious shot at winning a seat currently held by Republican Mike Lawler.

David Greenfield, a Democratic former city Councilman from Brooklyn who worked on the redistricting process, told Hamodia, “Legislative districts should represent communities of similar interests, and we worked for the past year to make the case that these Orthodox communities of interest need to be united. It’s a significant achievement that the Orthodox community of Monsey now has a seat they can run for and win. And having another Orthodox representative in the Assembly would be a game changer for not just the Orthodox community of Rockland, but for the Orthodox community across the state.”

Greenfield said that a victory by a Democrat would provide a benefit to the entire district. “A Republican can’t get anything done in an Assembly that has a supermajority of Democrats. Having a Democrat — who has the ability to pass legislation, bring back resources and work with the governor as a member of the majority— represent the area, would be a serious gain for all residents of the district.”

Wieder himself would not confirm to Hamodia whether he is running, only saying he is “giving it some serious thought.”

“With the newly drawn lines,  all communities in Rockland County will finally have the ability to be represented in the majority caucus in Albany,” Wieder said. “I haven’t yet made a decision, but a lot of friends and constituents are strongly urging me to run.”

Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein (D-Borough Park, Midwood), who is currently the sole Chassidic legislator in Albany, told Hamodia on Tuesday that he was excited at the prospect of being joined by Wieder.

“It would be great to have Aron Wieder as a partner in the New York State Assembly,” Eichenstein said. “Aron is uniquely qualified and would be ready to hit the ground running on day one.”

The incumbent Lawler appeared to acknowledge the realities of his district, and indicated he may not run for reelection in the Assembly.

In an email to supporters on Wednesday titled “What should I do now?” Lawler wrote, “What a whirlwind these past few days have been with redistricting! These new maps have given me a lot to think about.” The email includes maps of the new 97th Assembly District, State Senate District 40 and Congressional District 17, and provides a link where donors can “vote on what I should run for this year.”

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rborchardt@hamodia.com