Who elected these yutzes?
It’s all good with NY Dems voting shady pols in
Democrats flocked to the polls for Thursday’s primaries, but look who they elected: a state Senate candidate who couldn’t stop lying about her background and a former lawmaker who slashed his girlfriend and served time for corruption.
Julia Salazar breezed past eightterm Sen. Martin Dilan in Brooklyn — even though she misrepresented her education, her religious background, her birthplace and her economic status.
“In a sense, shame is dead. Facts are dead. Voters are more concerned about ideology and not character,” said Doug Muzzio, public affairs professor at CUNY’s Baruch College.
“When I was growing up, they taught us that lying is lying. It shows poor character. Today . . . I don’t know.”
A shell-shocked Dilan told The Post he was “very surprised” by his shellacking at the hands of the 27-year-old neophyte. Salazar captured 59 percent of the vote in Thursday’s contest, in which the turnout was nearly triple what it was in 2016.
“I can’t believe people supported someone who can’t keep their word or can’t tell the truth,” Dilan said.
“I don’t feel she won. I was de- feated by a national organization — the Democratic Socialists of America. They put a lot of people on the ground. People outside the district created a wave for her. She won by a nice margin.”
He also admitted being swamped by newer, progressive voters in Williamsburg and Greenpoint. “New people in the district didn’t know me,” he said.
Dilan added that he had not called his rival to concede “because I don’t have her number.”
Salazar said voters were sick of entrenched pols like Dilan, who had close ties to and accepted big bucks from the realestate industry while doing little for tenants’ rights.
“We sent a message that politics as usual — not only are constituents tired of it but it’s not the most effective way to win an election anymore. And it’s more critical than ever, especially in local races and hyper-local races, to run a truly grassroots campaign,” said Salazar.
The Senate shoo-in — she has no Republican opponent in November — lied about graduating from Columbia University, falsely claimed to be an immigrant, exaggerated her religious background and claimed to have grown up as working class despite living next to the Mets’ Keith Hernandez in Florida.
Citizens Union revoked its en- dorsement after her background was called into question.
Other analysts said her win was part of a trend — or even a revolt — that included Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s surprise win over Queens party boss and incumbent Rep. Joe Crowley in June.
“I think with Salazar it was a function of the AOC effect and the heart and soul of the Democratic Party’s full embrace of socialism,” said GOP strategist Jessica Proud.
“It’s not a competitive seat for Republicans, so voters were likely willing to look past all of her flaws because she was espousing their agenda and they didn’t need to worry about losing the seat.”
Voters also ignored flaws in a Queens race for district leader, where convicted domestic abuser Hiram Monserrate was elected despite slashing his girlfriend and serving two years for stealing government funds while in the City Council.
“The Monserrate people love him and don’t care about all his misdeeds. Hyper-local politics at its finest,” said one Democrat.
Proud said of his win: “For Monserrate, district leader is a political position, not a public office, so it’s a little different . . . it’s probably a combo of name recognition for an office they know nothing about and turning out whatever supporters he has left. Regardless, it’s certainly an in- dictment on Queens Democrats for not doing more to stop him.”
Daniel Alonso, a former special counsel to the state Senate committee that investigated Monserrate in 2009 after his domestic assault conviction, sent out a series of tweets Friday reminding the public about the former senator’s history.
“He’s convicted of a domestic violence offense and convicted of a corruption offense. That’s a pretty serious rap sheet for a politician,” said Alonso.