Murray Weinstein

Elected in 1978, Weinstein won a stunning upset over Speaker of the New York State Assembly and Brooklyn Democratic Party boss Stanley Steingut for the 41st Assembly seat.^[2][3][4][5]

Weinstein had only stepped into the race a week before the primary vote as a stand-in for his daughter Helene Weinstein. The younger Weinstein had primaried Steingut, backed by the New Way Democratic Club, a newly formed organization which operated out of a storefront and challenged the influence of Steingut’s powerful Madison Club.^[2]

Andrew Stein had endorsed Ms. Weinstein against Steingut and began actively working for her in July, later saying that when he realized Steingut would not be indicted for the nursing home scandals, he "made up [his] mind to destroy him."^[2] After allegations concerning the Towers Nursing Home, and other scandals, became a focus of the primary, Steingut attacked Weinstein's residency in court and on August 30, Ms. Weinstein was ruled off the ballot with seven days left before the primary.^[6] The elder Weinstein then stepped in one week before the primary vote as a stand-in for his daughter. Steingut announced that he would get off the ballot only if he were appointed to a judgeship.^[3]

On November 7, Murray Weinstein beat Steingut 10,297 to 9,079, a margin of a little more than 6% of all votes cast,^[5] effectively ending Steingut's political career after 26 years in the Assembly^[5] and the influence of the Madison Club.

Stein said that the campaign was one of "great nastiness, fought block by block, like nothing we ever see in Manhattan".^[7] Lloyd Berlin, a Weinstein worker who was a defector from Steingut's MadisonClub, agreed with Stein that the Speaker's “arrogance” was the issue.^[7]