Gentile, Quaglione faceoff in first debate
Candidates argue over who has clout to get things done
Democratic Councilman Vincent Gentile and his Republican-Conservative challenger John Quaglione went head to head in their long-anticipated first debate on Wednesday, trading verbal jabs over quality of life issues and arguing over who is best suited to bring taxpayer funds back to the district to fund neighborhood improvement projects.
The two men are running in the Nov. 5 election to represent the 43rd Council District, covering the southwest Brooklyn neighborhoods of Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights and parts of Bensonhurst and Bath Beach. The contest is one of the most closely watched council races in the city.
Quaglione, a first-time candidate, repeatedly charged that Gentile, a 10-year-veteran of the City Council, has failed to secure adequate funding for the district for such things as parks, libraries and schools. The challenger also suggested that the incumbent doesn’t have any real clout in city government, despite his long tenure, and that this hurts the district’s residents.