BP MARKOWITZ STATEMENT ON CONGRESSMAN ED TOWNS NOT SEEKING RE-ELECTION
Congressman Ed Towns served Brooklyn with distinction, honor and integrity, and we all owe him a huge debt of gratitude for his tireless service to our nation. Not only did Congressman Towns bring together Brooklynites of all ethnicities, religions and walks of life in a diverse district that mirrored Brooklyn itself, but he made sure Brooklyn received its fair share from Washington. The ongoing renaissance of Brooklyn is due in no small part to his commitment, and nationally he was a leader in urban issues and fighting corruption on Wall Street, among other countless contributions. Locally, his annual Thanksgiving celebration made sure that seniors who lived far from their loved ones had a place to go for a warm holiday meal.
Of course, before he was elected to the House, Congressman Towns became Brooklyn's first ever African American deputy borough president. He comes from a family of public servants--wife Gwen is a community activist and advocate for education; son Darryl admirably served as an assemblyman before becoming commissioner and CEO of New York State Homes and Community Renewal under Governor Cuomo; and daughter-in-law Karen Boykin-Towns is president of the Brooklyn NAACP. With a family tree like that, I have no doubt that Ed Towns will continue to serve Brooklyn and the public in some capacity.
Finally, Congressman Towns taught me that having 'Towns' in your name is one of the keys to political success, which is why I was proud to call myself 'Marty Towns Markowitz' whenever he and I appeared at events together. It's moments like that I will always cherish, and I wish Congressman Towns well as he embarks on the next chapter of his life."
