Clubs shift from Scott to Morales

Two Brooklyn political clubs endorsed former nonprofit executive Dianne Morales for mayor after ditching city Comptroller Scott Stringer amid allegations of sexual misconduct against him.

Lambda Independent Democrats of Brooklyn, which describes itself as the largest LGBTQ political group in the borough, and the Park Slope-based Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats provided the new endorsements for Morales (photo).

Those could help make her the local progressive movement’s candidate of choice in the contest as Stringer’s campaign remains in free fall.

The Brooklyn clubs were following in the footsteps of numerous other lefty groups in taking back their endorsements of Stringer. Supporters including the Working Families Party and several high-profile lawmakers ditched the comptroller over bombshell allegations he groped and pressured a campaign volunteer to have sex with him years ago.

“[Morales’] vision for New York City is bold and progressive. She represents our values and mission, and will be a true advocate for the disadvantaged and marginalized within the LGBTQ community,” the Lambda Independent Democrats said in a statement shared Tuesday by Morales’ campaign.

Also endorsing her were Empire State Indivisible — a high-profile group that helped Democrats win the state Senate in 2018 — and the Muslim Democratic Club of New York.

Deploying some of the same rhetoric that has characterized Morales’ campaign, Empire State Indivisible decried “years of disinvestment, decades of failed policy and centuries of systemic racism” that it said have worsened the COVID crisis.

Morales, former CEO of nonprofit Phipps Neighborhoods, has campaigned as the most progressive candidate in the race, calling for a $3 billion cut to the NYPD and promising to rewrite the city’s “social contract.”