A City Council race may put a Queens congressman between a rock and a hard place – or in this case, between his top aide and his own wife.
Brian Simon, executive assistant to Queens Rep. Gregory Meeks, is preparing to run for the southeast Queens seat currently held by Leroy Comrie.
But Simone-Marie Meeks, the congressman’s wife, is also mulling a bid for the seat, several sources said.
And the sources said the congressman has indicated that he’s supporting Simon, though it’s unclear whether that will be the case if his wife formally enters the race for the 27th District seat.
Mrs. Meeks, who works for Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi, couldn’t be reached for comment.
Contacted several times for comment, Meeks declined through an aide to discuss the potential political triangle.
Simon acknowledged last week that he’s planning to run for the seat but demurred about his boss’s wife’s intentions.
“I’m not sure” what she intends to do, Simon said. “I haven’t spoken to Simone [about running]. She hasn’t told me that.
“Right now I’m pursuing support, meeting with the local community leaders,” said Simon, 25, a Queens native who worked on the Al Gore and John Kerry presidential bids.
He said he’s focused on issues like public safety, education, health and over-development, adding, “We have to try to make a change for the better.”
Simon and Mrs. Meeks are not the only potential candidates vying for the seat, which will be vacated by Comrie due to term limits.
Comrie was recently criticized by Viola Plummer, chief of staff to Brooklyn Councilman Charles Barron, over a controversial vote to rename a street after radical activist Sonny Carson.
Most of the 2009 council races for seats held by term-limited members are expected to be crowded contests.