Jabari Brisport: Controversies and Criticism
2020 Protest at Laurie Cumbo's Home
In June 2020, Brisport and fellow DSA-endorsed candidate Phara Souffrant Forrest led approximately 200 demonstrators in a protest outside the home of then-City Council Member and Majority Leader Laurie Cumbo, calling on her to support stripping $3 billion from the New York City police budget . Cumbo responded by condemning the tactics of Brisport and the DSA, describing the demonstration as an assault on her safety and that of her child, and using the phrase lynch mob to describe the protest . Cumbo later accused the DSA of using the Black Lives Matter movement to unseat Black political leaders, writing that a movement of gentrification was strategizing on how to best unseat Black leadership . Brisport's supporters characterized the protest as a standard act of political advocacy during a period of mass demonstrations following the killing of George Floyd .
Israel-Palestine Activism and Arrest
Brisport was arrested in October 2023 while participating in a demonstration related to the Israel-Palestine conflict following the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel . He is a supporter of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement targeting Israel . In November 2023, he co-signed a letter condemning Columbia University for suspending the campus organizations Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace . In April 2024, he signed a joint statement with 13 socialist elected officials supporting student encampments and condemning the repression of student protesters . In December 2023, he posted on social media using the phrase from the river to the sea in reference to the conflict . His positions on Israel have drawn sharp criticism from pro-Israel organizations, which have characterized his statements as promoting hostility toward Israel and the Jewish community . Brisport has framed his activism as consistent with his broader commitment to human rights and has nominated a Palestinian rights advocate as his 2024 Woman of Distinction .
Conflict with Hakeem Jeffries and the Brooklyn Establishment
Brisport's positions on Israel and his DSA affiliation have placed him in conflict with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, whose congressional district overlaps with Brisport's state senate district . In October 2023, City and State reported that Democratic operatives close to Jeffries expressed interest in backing a primary challenger against Brisport . The tension reflects a broader divide between the DSA-aligned left and the Brooklyn Democratic establishment, particularly on questions of Israel policy, policing, and housing .
DSA Internal Tensions
Although Brisport has been a consistent DSA member and officeholder, his positions have not always aligned with the organization's internal consensus. He was described as neutral on the question of whether the DSA should endorse City Council Member Chi Osse's challenge to Hakeem Jeffries at a November 2025 forum, while other DSA officeholders were divided . In 2026, he endorsed Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado for governor rather than supporting Governor Hochul alongside Mayor Mamdani, publicly diverging from one of his closest political allies .
2022 Primary Challenge and Adams Endorsement
In the 2022 Democratic primary, Mayor Eric Adams endorsed Brisport's challenger, Reverend Conrad Tillard, who ran as a more moderate alternative . After the endorsement, the New York Daily News reported on past statements by Tillard, made during his earlier career as a minister in the Nation of Islam, that were critical of abortion, same-sex marriage, and Jewish people . Brisport responded by characterizing Tillard as someone who continued to hold those views and was deliberately appealing to right-wing voters . Brisport won the primary with over 70 percent of the vote .
NYCHA Blueprint for Change Negotiations
Brisport and several other DSA-affiliated state legislators, including Senator Julia Salazar and Assembly Member Marcela Mitaynes, were reported to have been in negotiations over the Blueprint for Change for NYCHA, a proposal that would have converted public housing apartments from Section 9 to a new entity . Tenant advocacy groups criticized the negotiations, accusing the legislators of considering a deal that would have effectively ended Section 9 public housing in New York City . The proposal did not advance to a vote.
Criticism of Socialist Ideology
Republican state senators and moderate Democrats have criticized Brisport's self-identification as a socialist, arguing that his policy positions are too far left for effective governance . Brisport has defended his ideology by pointing to the popularity of his platform within his district and the breadth of his electoral margins .