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Koppell Wins Big In Council Primary

By JORDAN MOSS

Councilman Oliver Koppell sailed to an easy victory on Sept. 13 against Ari Hoffnung, his challenger in the Democratic primary. The veteran lawmaker received 73 percent of the vote.

“I’m tremendously gratified and pleased not only at the size of the victory, but also the fact that I had support from every part of the district,” Koppell said. In the Norwood part of his district, Koppell said that his support was even stronger than in the district-at-large.

According to an analysis of the returns by Koppell’s ally, Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, Koppell got 1,017 votes in Norwood to Hoffnung’s 289. In Bedford Park the spread was similar—552 for Koppell, 146 for Hoffnung.

Koppell will face a Republican challenger, Steve Bradian, in the general election. But in the heavily Democratic district, which also includes Riverdale, Kingsbridge and Woodlawn, his reelection is virtually assured.

Koppell, who spent the first three years of his first term out of favor with the speaker and Council’s leadership, said he anticipates “having a greater role in the new Council.” He wants a committee chairmanship and expects to introduce environmental legislation such as the mandatory recycling of batteries.

He also said he wants to help the merchants along Bainbridge Avenue and East 204th Street in Norwood create a business improvement district.

Koppell, who was a state assemblyman for more than two decades before he was appointed state attorney general, and then the president of School Board 10, said he learned a lot about what concerns residents in the process of campaigning. Norwood residents are particularly concerned about the state of their subway stations, he said.

As for the mayoral campaign, Koppell said he will endorse Fernando Ferrer, even though Ferrer sided with Hoffnung in the Council election. “I’m not happy about it, but I did endorse someone else, so I couldn’t get too angry about it,” Koppell said, referring to his own support for Gifford Miller in the mayoral primary.

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