Devin Cohen, 3,970 (51.76%)
Roger Adler, 3,700 (48.24%)
Civil Court, District 1 (Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, Brooklyn Heights, Downtown, DUMBO. Fort Greene and a sliver of Park Slope)
Cohen, a Democratic club leader, attorney and activist, did not earn an “approved” nod from the New York and Brooklyn bar associations, but he was endorsed by more Democratic voter than Adler, an attorney who represented disgraced Assemblyman Clarence Norman and who helped the Conservative Party fight same-sex marriage.
On Election Night in this tight race, Cohen said he gained confidence when early results showed that he had won precincts in Brooklyn Heights and Concord Village, where Adler and politically connected family members live.
To win, Cohen had to confront Adler’s negative ads that he was a political insider and his “not approved” rating from the city bar association, which gave Adler a stamp of approval.
On Wednesday, Lambda members breathed relief and took some credit for tipping the vote in Cohen’s favor.
“Once the word got out that the opponent Roger Adler did not represent progressive values, I think that changed the outcome,” said Dan Wilson, a member of Lambda Independent Democrats, a gay clubhouse.
