Greenfield wins big, Hikind loses bigger

By Michael Orbach

Issue of March 26, 2010/ 11 Nissan 5770

Call him the Jewish Scott Brown.

David Greenfield swept a special election for the 44th District seat on the New York City Council in a landslide victory Tuesday. He soundly defeated fellow Democrat Joe Lazar, taking the seat by a margin of 58 to 40 percent. Kenneth Rice, a Republican, took just three percent of the vote.

In both elections, a charismatic relative newcomer beat an established politician. In Brown’s race in Massachusetts it was Democrat Martha Coakley; in Greenfield’s case, his real opponent wasn’t Lazar, but Assemblyman Dov Hikind, who invested virtually all of his political capital in electing Lazar.

The election exposed the waning power of the assemblyman who has held Borough Park politics in a vise-like grip for the past 20 years. Despite heavy campaigning by Hikind and seemingly everyone in Borough Park who fancied himself an activist or power broker, and endorsements from chassidishe rebbes and politicians like Comptroller John Liu, Lazar didn’t even win Borough Park itself. The district also comprises portions of the Midwood, Kensington and Bensonhurst neighborhoods.

Greenfield managed an aggressive grassroots campaign that involved door-to-door campaigning, public appearances and support from an array of local and national politicians including Connecticut Senator Joseph Lieberman and Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

“We did it the old fashioned way,” Greenfield said at his victory party Tuesday night. “We brought the community together.” Tomorrow, Greenfield said, he was “looking forward to put all this behind us, to work together.”

Lazar, by contrast, appeared to run a lackluster campaign, putting out ‘rebbe cards’ and a jingle during the Purim holiday. In the weeks leading up to the election he refused requests for interviews.

“Lazar based his campaign on pictures for children. You can’t base a campaign on pictures,” explained Moshe Friedman, a Greenfield supporter who showed up at the Lazar’s concession speech. “Greenfield campaigned like a politician.”

Lazar conceded defeat half-an-hour after the polls closed, surrounded by supporters. He thanked his family and the people who supported him, and implied that his nascent political career was not yet over.

“I might even find my way to the men’s room in City Hall,” Lazar said in his closing remarks.

Given the wide margin of Greenfield’s victory, it is doubtful that Lazar would consider challenging Greenfield in November 2010 when he will face voters to ask for a full term.

Greenfield is succeeding Simcha Felder who, five days after being re-elected to a third term last November, resigned to join the staff of Comptroller John Liu.

Lazar’s concession was mainly dominated by Hikind who, upon entering the hall, asked if there was whiskey. “I could use some,” he joked.

Hikind effusively thanked politicians who supported Lazar, including Councilman Brad Lander, Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, and Comptroller Liu, who after a particulary effusive thank-you from Hikind, said “We just had our first date.”

Later Hikind turned philosophical. “We accept what G-d dishes,” he said, then quoted Lazar, “It’s bashert.”

The election was a bloody one with both sides trading claims of fraud and negative politicking. Two other candidates, Jonathan Judge and Avrohom Tischler were kicked off the ballot, after Greenfield and Lazar successfully challenged their petitions.

Leaving the Lazar concession speech, Comptroller Liu, who supported Lazar over Greenfield, said he was looking forward to working with Greenfield.

“The election was hard fought,” he said. “the people have spoken... This is an election and this is democracy, it’s about making choices.”

At Greenfield’s victory party, few expressed negative opinions about Lazar, instead directing their ire towards Hikind.

Shlomo Gombo, a community activist and friend of Greenfield, said, “We need change. No more machines.”

Morris Friedman who helped with Greenfield’s campaign said that he had never been interested in politics before the current election. After meeting Greenfield in shul one day, he decided to start making calls on his behalf. He said he found that Hikind was dividing the community and was increasinly out of touch with the community’s need.

“I hope Dov gets this message loud and clear, that he is not anybody in this community more than a politician,” Friedman explained. “If this politician would have been a non-Jew or Dov Hikind, it carries the same weight. You’re going to look after us we’ll support you; you don’t look after us, you’ll get David Greenfields every night.”