Voters from Brighton Beach to Bergen Beach and all points in between will be going to the polls today to vote in a replacement for disgraced state Sen. Carl Kruger, who resigned last year after pleading guilty to pocketing nearly $1 million in bribes. Since there was no open primary, the decision comes down to two men chosen by their respective parties: Democratic Councilman Lew Fidler and Republican attorney David Storobin.
Both men were light on the issues and heavy on the name calling during this short campaign period, so here’s a brief cheat sheet to help you at the polls:
Lew Fidler
• Attorney and former community board chairman. Elected to the City Council in 2001. Is term-limited out of office in 2013.
• Chair of the City Council’s Youth Services Committee.
• Raised $405,000 and boasted having support from more than 260 community leaders when he announced his candidacy.
• Age 55, lives in Marine Park.
David Storobin
• Lawyer and vice-president of the Kings County Republican Party.
• Immigrated from Russia in 1992.
• Became involved in politics after volunteering for Mayor Rudolph Giuliani.
• Raised $120,000, half of which came from Storobin and Storobin’s mother.
• Age 32, lives in Brighton Beach.
The campaign
• Fidler accused Storobin of having “ties” to neo-Nazis, sparking a war of words between the two Jewish candidates. Storobin disputed the claim, and has racked up support from prominent Jewish leaders as a result.
• Fidler was hospitalized for two crucial weeks during the vicious 10 week campaign after suffering an allergic reaction from his gout medication, but promised the episode won’t hurt his chances at the polls.
• Senate Republican leaders vowed to spend up to $500,000 to help Storobin get elected in order to expand the GOP’s base in Southern Brooklyn — then drew up new district lines that would wipe Kruger’s old stomping grounds off the political map.
