NOTE: This piece was first published on NYNewsPress.com. Since last Friday, there has been a significant delay in news publication on Substack. Hopefully, the issue is now resolved.
By M. Thomas Nast, Frankie Pressman, and Rick LaRivière
Staten Island’s Democratic County Committee gathered Thursday night for their annual convention. As the dust settled on Friday morning, one thing was clear—Kamillah Hanks was the victim of a veritable political “St. Valentine’s Day Massacre.”
The committee’s executive board refused to endorse any candidate for the 49th District City Council seat, a stinging rebuke to the embattled incumbent who has alienated key party figures, local Democrats, and law enforcement unions.
The decision to withhold support wasn’t just a formality but a political death sentence marking the Kamillah Hanks election collapse. With strong challengers emerging in Jozette Carter-Williams and Abou Diakhate, Hanks faces a race many insiders believe she cannot win.
A Political Landscape Shifting Against Hanks
Carter-Williams and Diakhate have gained considerable traction, running on platforms highlighting community revitalization, public safety, job creation, and improved transportation access on the North Shore. Their campaigns have struck a chord with voters frustrated by Hanks’ scandals, her inability to deliver results, and her growing reputation as a politician more interested in self-preservation than public service.
Carter-Williams, the widow of slain NYPD Officer Gerard Carter, has already secured significant backing from law enforcement unions.
These endorsements reflect a sharp break from the past when unions once viewed Hanks as an ally.
Diakhate, a court analyst and immigrants’ rights advocate with strong community ties, has also positioned himself as a serious contender, making it clear that the status quo will not stand in this election.
The Ranked-Choice Voting Wrinkle
The introduction of ranked-choice voting (RCV) in New York City has further stacked the deck against Hanks.
Sources confirm that Carter-Williams and Diakhate have formed a strategic alliance for change in the district. They are urging their supporters to rank each other first and second, ensuring the election of a change candidate.
This agreement all but guarantees the Kamillah Hanks election collapse and elimination in the later rounds of voting.
Ranked-choice voting requires a candidate to secure more than 50% of the vote to win outright. If no one reaches that threshold, the lowest-performing candidate is eliminated, and their votes are redistributed to the second-choice selections of their supporters.
Given the deep dissatisfaction with Hanks, political insiders predict that she will likely receive no more than 40% in the first round—far from the majority needed to win.
If Carter-Williams and Diakhate split the anti-Hanks vote early on, their combined total will eventually surpass 50% as votes from eliminated candidates are reallocated.
That means Hanks would be out in an early round.
“Hanks has zero path to victory with ranked-choice voting. The math doesn’t work in her favor,” a well-known Democratic consultant said bluntly.
But Hanks’s problems are more than just mathematics.
“The challengers have already shown they can work with others for the good of the district. Hanks hasn’t been able to do that for four years,” the Democratic consultant said.
A Party at War with Its Own Incumbent
Hanks’s falling out with the Staten Island Democratic Party has been years in the making. Her most egregious betrayal came when she vetoed the County Committee’s choice for NYC Board of Elections Commissioner, Debi Rose.
The committee’s clear choice was the former Deputy City Council Speaker, widely respected and beloved among Staten Island Democrats.
“On the North Shore, she’s more popular than Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy combined,” said a county committee member. “Debi is one of us.”
Instead, Hanks forced through her own pick, attorney Michele Sileo, a move many saw as a blatant power grab.
The decision created lasting animosity.
Rose, who has yet to endorse in the race, is unlikely to offer any support to Hanks.
According to a longtime Democratic insider, “It will be a cold day in hell before Debi Rose endorses Kamillah Hanks.”
The bitterness between Rose and Hanks is rooted in a history of political backstabbing.
In 2017, Hanks was linked to a fake Facebook smear campaign against Rose. Her then-family lawyer, Richard Luthmann, went to prison for three years in connection with those charges.
Although Hanks avoided legal consequences, leaked Facebook messages show her directing the attacks on Rose.
The scandal has only further solidified her reputation as a self-serving politician willing to throw others under the bus to save herself.
A Candidate Engulfed in Scandals
Hanks has been mired in controversy, losing the trust of law enforcement, community members, and party officials alike. Her sponsorship of the How Many Stops Act, a bill that police unions claim severely restricts officers’ ability to do their jobs, cost her crucial endorsements from the NYPD’s most powerful unions. The Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association (PBA), the Sergeants Benevolent Association (SBA), and the Detectives’ Endowment Association (DEA) have all turned their backs on Hanks, vowing never to support her again.
Adding fuel to the fire, Hanks has been heavily criticized for her ties to True2Life, a nonprofit that has advocated for the parole of violent criminals, including Shatiek Johnson, the man who murdered NYPD Officer Gerard Carter.
The betrayal has not gone unnoticed, particularly by Carter-Williams, who raised her son, Louis, without a father after Johnson gunned down her husband in 1998.
“You can’t stand with cop killers and claim to stand for public safety,” Carter-Williams said.
Beyond law enforcement, Hanks has also faced scrutiny over her campaign finances. An alarming percentage of her contributions come from real estate developers, lobbyists, and out-of-district donors, raising concerns about where her true loyalties lie.
Even her own husband, millionaire real estate developer Kevin Barry Love, contributed a measly $10 to her campaign—a comically low figure that only further highlights the hypocrisy of her financial backers.
Her connections to scandal-ridden figures like Henry “Bobby Digi” Olisa, the father of NYC Cultural Affairs Commissioner Laurie Cumbo’s child, have further damaged her standing.
Hanks funneled $105,000 in taxpayer funds to Olisa’s nonprofit despite numerous allegations of financial mismanagement surrounding his organization.
The Pros Are Stacked Against Hanks
With Hanks fighting for her political survival, her opponents have called in some of the most experienced operatives in New York politics.
Carter-Williams has retained veteran political consultant Michael Cox. Cox is a master of ballot challenges known for eliminating candidates before the race begins.
Cox previously orchestrated Phil Marius’s removal from the 2017 City Council race, reducing his petition count from over 1,200 submitted signatures to just 325 valid ones. Marius dropped out before even making it to court.
“If Hanks’ petitions aren’t airtight, Cox will wipe her off the ballot,” a Brooklyn political insider noted. “Marius didn’t even bother going to court in 2017 because he knew there was a chance he’d leave in bracelets.”
Additionally, Carter-Williams has secured the services of John Ciampoli, one of America’s most accomplished election lawyers. Ciampoli has served as legal counsel for the New York State Senate Republicans and has successfully defended some of the state’s most high-profile political campaigns.
According to sources, Ciampoli agreed to take Carter-Williams’ case because of her status as an NYPD line-of-duty family.
“Law enforcement issues are personal for him,” an NYPD-connected source said. “He’d never let cops get screwed over, let alone the family of hero NYPD Officer Gerard Carter.”
The petitioning period to collect signatures runs from February 25 through April 3, and candidates need 450 valid signatures to secure their place on the ballot.
Without the backing of the County Committee, Hanks is now left to fend for herself. Insiders predict that with Cox overseeing the petition challenge, Hanks could be knocked off the ballot before the race even begins.
Team Hanks: Nothing to Say
Team Hanks had nothing to say to counter allegations that the Councilmember is already a lame duck.
We sought comment from Hanks, her office, Kevin Barry Love (her husband and alleged enforcer), and Communications Director Michael Arvanites (also a Democratic Consultant). No response was received on the Kamillah Hanks election collapse as of press time. Here is what we asked:
From: Rick LaRivière <RickLaRiviere@proton.me>
Date: On Friday, February 14th, 2025 at 7:30 AM
Subject: Inquiry Regarding Kamillah Hanks’ Failure to Secure SI Democratic County Committee Endorsement
To: kevinblove@gmail.com <kevinblove@gmail.com>, district49@council.nyc.gov <district49@council.nyc.gov>, mdarvanites@gmail.com <mdarvanites@gmail.com>, khanks@council.nyc.gov <khanks@council.nyc.gov>
CC: mthomasnast@protonmail.com <mthomasnast@protonmail.com>, frankiepressman@protonmail.com <frankiepressman@protonmail.com>Dear Councilmember Hanks and Team,
I hope this message finds you well. I am reaching out regarding Council Member Hanks’ recent failure to secure the Staten Island Democratic County Committee’s endorsement at the Thursday night convention. This development raises several important questions about the state of her re-election campaign and her standing within the local Democratic Party.
To ensure balanced and accurate reporting, I would like to provide your campaign with an opportunity to respond to the following questions:
1. County Committee’s Decision to Withhold Endorsement
– Why do you believe the County Committee declined to endorse any candidate, including Council Member Hanks?
– Were any outreach efforts made to secure the County Committee’s endorsement, and if so, what was the response from members?
– Did the campaign receive any indication prior to the convention that the endorsement was in jeopardy?2. Relationship with the Staten Island Democratic Party & Leadership
– How does Council Member Hanks view her current relationship with the Staten Island Democratic Party leadership?
– Does the campaign believe that past conflicts—such as the decision to bypass the County Committee’s pick of Debi Rose for Board of Elections Commissioner in favor of Michele Sileo—played a role in this outcome?
– Does Council Member Hanks regret her decision to go against the County Committee’s choice for Board of Elections Commissioner, given the backlash from party leadership?
– Has she reached out to County Chair Laura Sword or other Democratic Party leaders following the convention to address any concerns?3. Party Infighting and Political Fallout
– How does Council Member Hanks respond to reports that she is “universally despised” by the County Committee?
– Does the campaign believe former Council Member Debi Rose or her allies actively worked to block Hanks from securing the endorsement?
– How does the campaign respond to the claim that it will be a “cold day in hell” before Debi Rose endorses Kamillah Hanks?
– What is the campaign’s strategy for winning over party insiders who have publicly or privately voiced opposition to Hanks?4. The Primary Race & Ranked-Choice Voting
– Does the campaign view Jozette Carter-Williams and Abou Diakhate as serious threats to Council Member Hanks’ re-election?
– How does the campaign plan to counter the reported ranked-choice voting pact between Carter-Williams and Diakhate, in which their supporters are encouraged to rank each other first and second?
– With ranked-choice voting favoring coalition-building, does the campaign see any path forward to consolidate support?
Some political analysts predict Hanks will not top 40% in the first round of voting—does the campaign dispute this assessment?5. Law Enforcement Backlash & Union Endorsements
– Reports indicate that the NYPD’s most powerful unions—the PBA, SBA, and DEA—are planning to endorse Jozette Carter-Williams. How does the campaign respond?
– Has Council Member Hanks attempted to mend fences with law enforcement unions since her sponsorship of the How Many Stops Act?
– Does the campaign believe the loss of law enforcement support will impact voter turnout and fundraising?
– How does the campaign plan to address concerns from voters who view Carter-Williams as the pro-law enforcement candidate due to her status as the widow of slain NYPD Officer Gerard Carter?6. Petitioning and Ballot Challenges
– Without the County Committee’s support, how confident is the campaign in collecting enough valid signatures to secure ballot access?
– The Carter-Williams campaign has reportedly retained veteran political consultant Michael Cox and election law attorney John Ciampoli, both known for aggressive ballot challenges. How does the campaign plan to defend against potential petition challenges?
– If faced with a serious legal challenge to petition signatures, does the campaign have an election lawyer retained to counteract efforts to remove Hanks from the ballot?7. Campaign Funding & Community Support
– Critics argue that a significant portion of Council Member Hanks’ campaign funds come from outside Staten Island, including lobbyists and real estate developers. How does the campaign respond to concerns that she is beholden to special interests rather than local residents?
– With law enforcement unions pulling support and grassroots opposition growing, how does the campaign plan to energize its base?
– Given the reported pact between Carter-Williams and Diakhate, does the campaign anticipate difficulty securing second-choice votes under ranked-choice voting?We would appreciate a response to ensure that your perspective is accurately represented in our reporting. If you cannot respond by press time, we will include your position in a follow-up.
Thanks,
Rick LaRivière
Independent Journalist
Follow Me On Substack
Kamillah Hanks Election Collapse: The Final Countdown
Kamillah Hanks is facing political oblivion. She has no institutional support, no law enforcement backing, and two formidable challengers who have united to take her down.
Her scandals, a brutal petitioning process, and ranked-choice voting have left her campaign in shambles.
“She’s running out of time, and she’s running out of friends,” said a Democratic strategist. “The math just isn’t there for her. This is the beginning of the end.”
Hanks ‘ future looks increasingly grim with the primary election looming in June.
If the momentum continues in Carter-Williams’ and Diakhate’s favor, Kamillah Hanks’ days in office are numbered.
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