A baby-faced college grad who once ran for office as a teenager says he’s the political mensch to fill the new “super-Jewish” state senate seat that’s up for grabs in Borough Park.
Abraham Tischler, 21, an Orthodox Jew just months removed from his first legal swig of alcohol, says he’s taking on political heavyweight Simcha Felder to represent parts of Borough Park, Ditmas Park, Midwood, Kensington, and Homecrest, claiming he’s the one who can fix Albany’s rickety wagon.
“For many years things have remained stagnant and when it came to the community, we weren’t being represented,” he said. “I want to stand up and be that message in Albany, I want them to look at me and see that people are standing up like them that are sick and tired of the status quo.”
Tischler isn’t entirely a political novice — he ran for the City Council seat vacated by Felder when he took a job with Comptroller John Liu in 2010, but got kicked off the ballot after challenger-turned-Councilman David Greenfield alleged that 800 of his ballot signatures were fakes
Now Tischler will face-off against Felder in the primary — a man the candidate calls a political wuss.
“Simcha Felder is a career politician who’s had his shot to make a difference, but he is neutral,” he said. “We still don’t know whether he’s siding with Democrats or Republicans.”
Yet some could say the same thing about Tischler: He says he’s a Democrat, but he admits he’s also a staunch social conservative who would be happy to push a bill outlawing gay marriage in the Empire State.
“I am against gay marriage — marriage should be between a man and woman,” he said.
“That’s an issue my community holds dear and if that’s a bill they want me to go and bring out and vote for, I will.”
Tischler said his other concerns were fixing the over-regulation of small businesses and finding ways to stimulate job creation. He added that he had no qualms about taking on Felder, who boasts a war chest of nearly $800,000.
“I’m going house to houses, I’m going to marketplaces, I’m meeting people on a constant basis,” he said.
“My main goal is to go to every single marketplace in Flatbush, Midwood, Borough Park, Ditmas Park, and Kensington.”
Reach reporter Eli Rosenberg at erosenberg@cnglocal.com or by calling (718) 260-2531. And follow him at twitter.com/emrosenberg.
