Sheepshead Bay’s newly minted state senator is preparing to jump ship — after just ten days in office.
Republican state Sen. David Storobin announced Thursday that he will be running for the new “Super Jewish” district that encompasses Midwood, Borough Park and parts of Homecrest — pitting himself against Democratic frontrunner Simcha Felder, who the GOP rookie claims is too liberal for the right-leaning Orthodox Jewish residents in those neighborhoods.
“I’m much more in line ideologically,” Storobin told Brooklyn Daily. “My opponent has a very liberal record — from supporting Mayor Bloomberg to President Obama to Council Speaker Christine Quinn.”
Storobin beat Councilman Lew Fidler (D–Marine Park) by 16 votes — considered the closest election in Brooklyn’s history — earlier this month to be named prison-bound ex-pol Carl Kruger’s successor. Kruger resigned last year after pleading guilty to accepting nearly $1 million in bribes from developers and lobbyists. Kruger’s seven-year prison sentence is scheduled to start on June 26.
But Albany eliminated Kruger’s district — a wide swath of property stretching from Brighton Beach to Bergen Beach — when they drew new district maps for the state earlier this year. Lawmakers divided the territory between two neighboring districts and the new Midwood seat, giving Storobin less than six months in office before he’s out of a job.
The Soviet-born attorney and vice-president of the Kings County Republican Party claimed his new senate campaign won’t affect his current constituents.
“I’m not going to neglect the district,” Storobin said.
Felder, a popular Borough Park councilman before leaving his post to join Comptroller John Liu’s office in 2010, did not return calls seeking comment, but openly scoffs at claims that a Democrat can’t win the new conservative seat.
“The Orthodox community has a history of voting for candidates they feel will be most helpful in delivering resources and services to their community,” Felder, who considers himself a political free agent, told us in an earlier interview. “The political party is irrelevant.”
Reach reporter Daniel Bush at dbush@cnglocal.com or by calling (718) 260-8310. Follow him at twitter.com/dan_bush.
