STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — State Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton (D – Staten Island/Brooklyn) officially received endorsements for re-election from five law enforcement agencies, including the Police Benevolent Association.
Dozens of city officials and officers gathered with the senator on Forest Avenue to offer words of praise and encouragement in her election battle against Republican Marko Kepi this fall.
“We endorsed her right away, before we even knew that a police officer was deciding to run for office, but from the beginning, Jessica was a fighter for us. She was there for police officers; she understands what police officers are going through on a daily basis… She’s trying to help us get a better quality of life for our police officers, and that’s what we’re about,” PBA President Pat Hendry said. “Her ultimate goal is to try to keep the people of Staten Island and all the areas that she covers, and all New Yorkers, safe.”
This marks the second time Kepi, newly graduated from the NYPD Police Academy, has been snubbed by what would have been vital political allies after the Staten Island Republican Party did not offer him their endorsement.
Detectives’ Endowment Association vice president, Det. Rick Simplicio had this to say about Kepi: “Unfortunately, for the other candidate, he’s not a proven member yet, and Jessica has [been] so we have to go with what we know. Jessica is 100% backing the blue.”
Scarcella-Spanton is looking to pass legislation akin to the PBA bill she passed, “that would bring more tier equity” to policing positions like detectives, sergeants, and more, in a single sweep.
“Listen, this means the world to me. I said from the beginning that I was going to run and be an elected official based on public safety, but it’s just beyond public safety, too. It’s making sure that these officers get the benefits they need in their retirement, and making sure we improve the pensions for current officers who are young right now and looking for a reason to stay on this job,” Scarcella-Spanton said. “I’m proud of what we were able to accomplish in the first two years, but these elections come up fast, and I have so much more that I want to do.”
In total, the PBA, DEA, Captain Endowment’s Association, the Sergeant Benevolent Association, and the Lieutenants Benevolent Association gave Scarcella-Spanton a double thumbs-up.
In response to the PBA’s endorsement of Scarcella-Spanton, Kepi said: “The people of Staten Island and Brooklyn are well aware that Jessica supported the Defund the Police movement, specifically the anti-police rally in front of the 122nd precinct, and publicly tweeted her support for it. I’m confident police officers and their families will vote for me as the only tough on crime candidate.”
The tweet Kepi is referring to is about when Scarcella-Spanton tweeted her approval of then-Congressional Rep. Max Rose’s participation in a Black Lives Matter rally on Staten Island in 2020.
Her campaign told the Advance in light of Kepi’s comment, “Senator Jessica Scarcella-Spanton has the support of all law enforcement unions because she has a track record of providing the police with the resources they need to keep Staten Island and Brooklyn safe.”
Staten Island Democrats’ allegations against the Republican candidate weren’t the first time Kepi has been connected to political misdeeds.
McMahon shared information from a grand jury report in November 2022 after it convened to consider fraud in an unidentified 2021 Staten Island primary.
The grand jury said it found that fraud had occurred in that primary, but that it did not affect the outcome of the election due to the safeguards in place at the time. Despite that, the group concluded that an overhaul of the state’s electoral system is needed.
The grand jury made recommendations instead of filing charges because the alleged fraud could not be ascribed to any individual, officials said.
Though the courts empaneled the grand jury, McMahon announced the report and his office helped guide the jury through its proceeding.
Under the state’s grand jury law, their reports can propose legislative action based on their findings, but cannot be critical of an identified or identifiable person when doing so.
The report cited several specific incidents of alleged signature fraud in the unspecified 2021 election that, according to the panel, included a man signing an election document after his death, and multiple signatures for different people that looked to have been written by the same person.
Despite that requirement, the case described closely mirrors the 2021 Republican primary for the Mid-Island’s City Council seat that came down to sitting Councilman David Carr (R-Mid-Island) and Kepi.
That race marked the first citywide experience with ranked-choice voting. After the first count round, Kepi led Carr and three other competitors, including Assemblyman Sam Pirozzolo (R-Mid-Island) before taking his current office, but that changed as the count rounds went on, according to New York City Board of Elections records.
No charges have ever been filed against Kepi, who has not won the support of the Staten Island Republican Party.