Four members of the New York City congressional delegation stood on the steps of City Hall August 4 to endorse State Sen. Martin Connor (D-Brooklyn/Manhattan), a 30-year incumbent who faces a grueling primary against a feisty insurgent, for reelection.

The event was the latest in a series of efforts by Connor to pile up endorsements from prominent Democrats, including those in his own conference, as he girds against a stiff challenge from 28-year-old Dan Squadron, who has been backed by his former boss, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D).

The four members of Congress—Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-Brooklyn), Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-Manhattan/Brooklyn), Rep. Nydia Velázquez (D-Manhattan/Brooklyn/Queens), and Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-Manhattan/Queens)—hailed Connor as the “progressive leader” in the race, a mantle his opponent has tried to claim. A fifth member of Congress, Rep. Yvette Clarke (D- Brooklyn), also endorsed Connor, but was not at the event.

Nadler, who served with Connor in the state legislature before being elected to congress, said of the incumbent: “He was then, and is now, one of the most active, creative, progressive leaders in the State Senate and the Legislature.”

Maloney echoed that sentiment, saying that Connor “has been a progressive leader for so many years on so many causes, and he knows how to get things done.”

Velázquez, who received Connor’s endorsement when she first ran for Congress 16 years ago, added: “It is not often that you are going to find four members of congress coming out to support one candidate."

That rare sight was emblematic of a deeper rift running through the primary, between a powerful national figure in Schumer and Connor, one of several local incumbents targeted by fresh-faced Democrats echoing this year’s Barack Obama-inspired mantra of “change.”

Connor’s supporters, themselves longtime incumbents, took pains to stress the value of seniority as the Democrats look to recapture the State Senate for the first time in more than 40 years.

After the event, Towns—who is facing a tough primary of his own against challenger Kevin Powell—said: “Seniority is not something that should be frowned upon, it’s something that we should relish, because seniority gives us clout, it gives us additional strength.”

Velasquez added: “Change for the sake of change doesn’t matter, it doesn’t make any sense.”

Connor, for his part, tried to dissociate himself from the stigma of Albany in the minds of many voters, especially those in the city.

“When people say they want change, they don’t really mean they want necessarily to change all the elected officials,” he said, “they want to change the direction in which policy and politics have gone.”

Asked why he thought so many Democrats had chosen to challenge longtime incumbents in a year when their party is on the brink of winning back the Senate, Connor said: “What are they thinking, draining resources away from the effort to take the majority by challenging people who have been effective, progressive incumbents?”

sgentile@cityhallnews.com