Should he capture his party’s nomination, Blakeman may face Kathleen Rice, the Nassau County district attorney and a Garden City Democrat, or Kevan Abrahams, the County Legislature’s minority leader and a Freeport Democrat, in November’s general election. Rice and Abrahams launched their campaigns in January, with Rice garnering McCarthy’s endorsement as her preferred successor.

McCarthy, who was first elected to Congress in 1996, announced in January that she would not seek re-election in November, citing her health as a main reason for her retirement. McCarthy disclosed that she had lung cancer last June.

The crowd at the press conference spilled onto Rockaway Avenue. Many waved “Bruce Blakeman for U.S. Congress” fliers, cheered for Blakeman and King and chanted, “Who do we want? Bruce!” One heckler, however, appeared with a banner that described Blakeman as a “carpet-bagging Manhattan socialite” and called out, “The NSA is watching!” a number of times to King, the former chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee.

Blakeman ended the press conference by declaring that he and King were about to get Ancona pizza slices, and that he would not use a fork and knife, unlike some in Brooklyn — a not-very-subtle reference to New York City’s new Democratic mayor, Bill de Blasio, who was recently criticized by some New Yorkers for his pizza-eating etiquette. Blakeman and King did not take questions from reporters during the conference.