Brooklyn Democrats endorse Rice for attorney general

Brooklyn Democrats have endorsed Nassau District Attorney Kathleen Rice for state attorney general - moving her toward a place on the September primary ballot.

"Brooklyn is where I began my career of legal advocacy and later this month, I am confident that Brooklyn will put us one giant step closer to being on ballot in September," Rice said in a statement.

State Democrats will decide which candidates win primary ballot spots at their convention May 25-27 in Westchester. A ballot spot requires 25 percent of the weighted convention vote. Rice's Brooklyn endorsement amounts to about 9 percent of the vote. Her Nassau and Suffolk endorsements are worth about 15 percent.

State Sen. Eric Schneiderman of Manhattan, one of Rice's opponents, won the Manhattan Democratic endorsement Wednesday, worth about 10 percent of the vote. "As a lifelong progressive Democrat, I will be the people's champion and fight every day to level the playing field for all New Yorkers," he said in a prepared statement.

Former state insurance superintendent Eric Dinallo, Assemb. Richard Brodsky and former federal prosecutor Sean Coffey are also running.