On a muggy Sunday morning, about a dozen volunteers and a couple of toddlers crowded into Blake Morris' living in the historic district of Ditmas Park, Brooklyn.
They were preparing to go out canvassing, in search of registered Democrats disenchanted with New York State Senator Simcha Felder.
"He votes with the Republicans, and as a result, the Democrats, who should be controlling the senate, are not able to provide progressive legislation," said volunteer Ernest Skinner, 75.
Since he was elected as a Democrat back in 2012, Felder has voted with Republicans. This means Democrats in the state senate are beholden to Felder despite having a one-person majority and luring back eight members of their own party who used to caucus with Republicans.
"He's the man who controls the light switch," said Morris, 58, a commercial litigator and community activist who announced his candidacy in March.
Felder has voted against progressive bills like the DREAM Act, raising the minimum wage and a fee on plastic bags. Morris said Felder also "bottles up the bills in his committee and won't let them onto the floor of the senate," which he recently did with a measure that would keep speed cameras on in school zones.
Felder, who did not want to comment for this story, hasn't spoken much about the primaries. But he did try to throw Morris off the ballot on account of a name technicality. The court sided with Morris last week.
While out canvassing in friendly territory, just a few blocks away from Morris' house, Skinner managed to convince a few registered voters.
But even though District 17 has almost three times more registered Democrats than Republicans (according to recent City & State numbers), it went for Trump back in 2016. And Felder has a traditional lock on the district's Orthodox Jewish community, which leans conservative.
The primaries are Sept. 13. Luis Rivera, a member of the Guardian Angels, will appear on the Reform Party line for the general election.