The committee charged with selecting a Democratic nominee to run for the Assembly seat vacated by the disgraced former head of the Brooklyn Democratic Party, Clarence Norman Jr., chose a pastor at Norman’s father’s church.

Even before members of the county committee filed into St. Mark’s School on the corner of President Street and Brooklyn Avenue in Crown Heights last night, those following the developing story seemed to know that the Reverend Karim Camara was going to get nod.

He won unanimous support from the 106 members of the 127-member county committee who voted in person and by proxy at last night’s meeting.

Mr. Camara, 34, is an executive director of the First Baptist Church of Crown Heights, where Clarence Norman Sr. is head pastor. Last night, he dismissed the notion that there was anything inappropriate about that connection.

“I don’t quite understand what the issue is,” he told The New York Sun. He said it was unfair to disqualify some body from seeking public office because they “go to the same church or belong to the same or organization” as someone convicted of a wrongdoing.

After a high-profile trial, Norman earlier last month was convicted of soliciting illegal campaign contributions and stripped of the Assembly seat he has held in Crown Heights for the last 23 years.

Governor Pataki has called a special election to replace him for November 8, the same day as the city’s mayoral election.

Because of the heavily Democratic makeup of the 43rd Assembly District, the party’s nominee is all but guaranteed the new job in Albany.

Yesterday, state Senator Carl Andrews, a close ally of Norman’s, defended the county committee’s decision and said given that the position is in the former leader’s district, it is not surprising that there’s some connection.

No matter who the county committee selected, even if it was a “brother from another planet,” someone would claim that there was a tie to Norman, Mr. Andrews said.

Empty Assembly seats are not easy to come by in the five boroughs. And, even though the winner of the seat will be up for re-election next year, incumbents hold a significant advantage, so there is a good chance the nominee will be in office for a long while.

One of the other candidates who wanted to be considered for the nomination, Geoffrey Davis, the brother of the slain City Council member, James Davis, said he was “disgusted” by the process.

“This is like Mafia style,” he said during a telephone interview on his way into the meeting. “This is like the Godfather goes to jail and picks his successor.”

The executive vice president of the Crown Heights Jewish Community Council, Chanina Sperlin, said after the meeting that all ethnic factions – Jewish, African American, and Caribbean – were behind the reverend.

“The whole community stood united as one,” he said.

The party on Thursday is scheduled to pick successors for Norman’s district leader position and his position as party leader.