Vince Gentile (D): 13,217 (60 percent)
Bob Capano (R): 8,911 (40 percent)
Incumbent Gentile handed Republican Bob Capano his second straight election loss, defeating the challenger in a 60-percent to 40-percent romp on Tuesday.
It will be the second full term for Gentile, who first entered the Council in a special election in 2003.
He was too busy celebrating to call us back, but his campaign spokeswoman Dena Libner said that her boss is “truly honored to be re-elected for another four years of fighting for Dyker Heights, Bensonhurst, and Bay Ridge.”
The race was seen by many as a test of whether Bay Ridge would remain the borough’s Republican stronghold. It certainly was that for Mayor Bloomberg, who beat his Democratic challenger Bill Thompson by large margins in the neighborhood.
But the strong turnout for the mayor did little to help Capano, who lost last year in a fight against first-term Assemblyman Alec Brook-Krasny.
Still, the challenger was pleased with his losing effort.
“If I helped in some small way by giving [Gentile] a perspective through a competitive race than I did my job, and view this campaign as a success,” said Capano. “I congratulated him, and said I look forward to working with him as a community member.”
Libner credited Gentile’s victory to the incumbent’s success in securing funding for three new schools, four school expansions and $4 million in investments in area parkland.
— Will Yakowicz
