This morning there was a reprise of the Black Eyed Peas’ “I Gotta Feeling” at City Council nominee Brad Lander’s Park Slope homestead.
And, wouldn’t you know it, those prognosticating Peas did it again.
When the polls closed Tuesday night, Lander was officially named the next City Councilman of the 39th District securing 70 percent of the vote, besting four challengers in the general election.
According to unofficial numbers, Lander received 15,379 votes — nearly 12,000 more than runner up Joe Nardiello, his Republican challenger who received just over 3,000 votes.
The tallys dwindled from there, with Green Party candidate David Pechefsky receiving just over 1,524 votes, Liberal Party candidate Roger Sarrabo receiving 815 votes and Conservative challenger George Smith just over 650 votes.
Gathering at Johnny Mack’s on Eighth Avenue (where one of his primary challengers, Josh Skaller, held his concession speech in September) Lander thanked everyone for their support as well as the confidence they have placed in the freshman city councilman.
“We’re all very excited to get started,” explained Lander. “This is more than a celebration. It’s a call to get busy. These are some challenging times facing this city and we have to work very hard to make sure that our neighborhoods stay safe and continue to prosper.”
Lander said that both Nardiello and Pechefsky both called to congratulate him on his victory.
“It was great to have a chance to run in a real general election,” he said. “Too often, the elections are over at the primary and it was important for everyone to have one.”
The general election, much like the primary, was filled with spirited debate as well as ideas on how to make our neighborhoods better rather than delving into mud-slinging.
“We actually had a debate on food policy,” he said. “It was probably the first debate on food policy since everyone in this district were farmers.”
Lander said his first act as City Councilman-elect would be to thank voters at the Fort Hamilton Parkway subway stop Wednesday morning.
