48th Council District
The race to replace term-limited Councilman Michael Nelson has attracted four candidates and provoked some bare-knuckle tactics, including allegations of ties to the KGB. The 48th district was redrawn this year to become a “Super-Russian district” with a majority of ethnic Russians, but only two of the contenders hail from the former Soviet Union. The district includes the neighborhoods of Manhattan Beach, Sheepshead Bay, Brighton Beach and Midwood.
Chaim Deutsch
• An aide to Councilman Michael Nelson (D–Sheepshead Bay).
• Founded the Flatbush Shomrim.
• 44, married, five children.
Theresa Scavo
• Chairwoman of Community Board 15.
• 61, married, two children.
Igor Oberman
• Brighton Beach attorney and president of the Board of Directors of Trump Village West, a 1,144 unit co-op.
• 40, one son.
Ari Kagan
• Formerly a Russian journalist and current Democratic Party leader in the 48th Council District
• 46, married, two children.
The campaign
• Scavo hired Hank “the Terminator” Sheinkopf, a political strategist — and rabbi — with more than 30-years experience in city politics, and who worked for Bloomberg during his 2009 mayoral reelection bid.
• Russian Democrats in the 48th Council District received robo-calls, which alleged that Kagan was formerly a member of the former Soviet spy agency, the KGB.
• Oberman claims he was prevented from attending a candidates forum in August because he has a restraining order against a member of the Cooperative Community Organization for sending him cockroaches in the mail.
