▁by ▁phys ician ▁H iral ▁T ip ir nen i . ▁Public ▁high ▁school ▁teacher ▁Gene ▁Sch ar er , ▁who ▁ran ▁against ▁Fran ks ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁had ▁intended ▁to ▁join ▁West bro ok ▁and ▁T ip ir nen i ▁in ▁the ▁primary , ▁but ▁fell ▁hundreds ▁of ▁sign atures ▁short ▁and ▁did ▁not ▁qual ify ▁to ▁run . ▁The ▁sign atures ▁for ▁both ▁Sch ar er ▁and ▁West bro ok ' s ▁campaign s ▁were ▁challeng ed ▁in ▁court ▁by ▁a ▁supp orter ▁of ▁T ip ir nen i ' s ▁campaign , ▁but ▁only ▁Sch ar er ▁was ▁dis qual ified ▁as ▁West bro ok ▁exceed ed ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁valid ▁sign atures ▁needed ▁to ▁qual ify . ▁ ▁West bro ok ' s ▁campaign ▁collected ▁end ors ements ▁from ▁Our ▁Revolution , ▁Run ▁With ▁P ride , ▁Justice ▁Democr ats ▁and ▁the ▁Phoenix ▁chapter ▁of ▁the ▁Democratic ▁Social ists ▁of ▁America ▁by ▁un anim ous ▁vote . ▁When ▁she ▁received ▁a ▁candidate ▁end ors ement ▁application ▁from ▁the ▁National ▁R if le ▁Association ▁( N RA ), ▁she ▁respond ed ▁by ▁recording ▁herself ▁te aring ▁the ▁form ▁in ▁half . ▁West bro ok ▁was ▁not ▁end ors ed ▁by ▁the ▁N RA . ▁ ▁The ▁February ▁ 2 7 th , ▁ 2 0 1 8 ▁special ▁election ▁primary ▁ended ▁with ▁T ip ir nen i ▁taking ▁ 6 0 . 2 % ▁of ▁the ▁Democratic ▁vote ▁and ▁West bro ok ▁taking ▁ 3 9