City and State News Kellner’s Council Opponent Lands New Endorsement by Jon Lentz

Ben Kallos, an attorney who is running against embattled Assemblyman Micah Kellner for a seat in the New York City Council, will pick up another endorsement today in the wake of accusations that Kellner sexually harassed a young female staffer in 2009. Elizabeth Holtzman, the former congresswoman, comptroller and district attorney, said that Kallos’ record and integrity made him the best candidate to represent the district, which includes the Upper East Side and Roosevelt Island.

Ben Kallos

“We need to elect more leaders like Ben Kallos, who have a record of combatting corruption and fighting for women’s rights,” Holtzman said in a statement. “We as a city must stand up to the appalling culture of harassment in government.”

Several public officials, including Councilwoman Jessica Lappin, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer and others, have pulled their endorsements of Kellner, while others have condemned his behavior.

Sonia Ossorio, the head of the New York City branch of the National Organization for Women, has also endorsed Kallos, saying that he “makes the women and girls of this city a priority—from funding sexual health programs to fighting the culture of sexual harassment.”