He may be drowning in scandal, but the re-election bid of disgraced Assemblyman Vito Lopez will still — incredibly — be smooth sailing.
The Brooklyn Democrat — facing an investigation from the Staten Island district attorney and a state ethics probe into whether he groped and harassed female aides — is expected to have a cakewalk into his 15th term in the Assembly.
“Vito could be in jail for murder, and the Democrats would win the district,” said Martin Connor, an election lawyer and former state senator. “It’s a presidential year. A lot of Democrats are going to pull the lever.”
Before the Bushwick lawmaker can win the general election in November, he has to get through the Sept. 13 primary.
But that shouldn’t be too hard — even though the scandal has already prompted him to step down as Brooklyn party boss.
No one from Lopez’s own party is challenging him, and for his name to be removed from the ballot, he would have to move out of Brooklyn or die.
The dearth of alternative candidates for the seat has political watchdogs fuming.
“It’s absolutely outrageous,” said Barbara Bartoletti, the legislative director of the state League of Women Voters.
“There isn’t the opportunity for ethical, accountable, responsible candidates to come in and offer an alternative. It’s close to a banana republic.”
It’s the reason, Bartoletti said, that New York ranks among the worst states — it’s 47th — in voter turnout.
“I don’t think people care that much about voting if they don’t have alternatives,” she said.
Republican Richy Garcia will square off with Lopez on Nov. 6, but he isn’t well known in Brooklyn political circles — or even in his own party.
“He’s just some guy we put in the race to have someone,” a Republican insider admitted.
Even Garcia, a temp for the city Board of Elections, didn’t sound too optimistic.
“It never hurts to try,” he said. “I think it’s possible.”
His bid to represent Lopez’s district, which covers Ridgewood, Bushwick and Williamsburg, is his first run for public office.
He seems to be taking a laid-back approach.
Even though Lopez’s female former staffers have been lining up with allegations of sexual harassment and a hostile workplace, Garcia still hasn’t decided what issues to run on.
“I’m still jotting notes down on that,” he confessed.
And unlike most ambitious politicians around election time, Garcia declined to have his photo taken for The Post.
“I’m not taking no picture,” the candidate said.
Fellow Brooklyn Republicans seem even less enthusiastic about him. A week and a half ago — as the Lopez scandal was breaking — two top Brooklyn Republicans said they weren’t even familiar with his name.
Even if Lopez wins, it doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll finish out his term.
“He’ll be ostracized,” Connor said. “Nobody’s going to talk to him. Nobody’s going to return his phone calls.”