Thinking ahead, Capano picks 4 campaign chairmen

Council hopeful set to run for Bay Ridge seat in 2017

October 20, 2016 By Paula Katinas Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Bob Capano has selected former Brooklyn Republican Party Chairman Craig Eaton to serve as one of his campaign chairmen. Photo courtesy of Capano

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The race to succeed term-limited Councilmember Vincent Gentile will begin in earnest in early 2017, but one potential candidate isn’t waiting for the starting gun to be fired.

Republican Bob Capano, who has made no secret of his desire to run for Gentile’s Bay Ridge-Dyker Heights council seat in November of 2017, is already planning ahead.

Capano announced this week on “The Vito and Vito Show,” a weekly political talk show heard on iHeartRadio, that he has picked four prominent people to serve as his campaign chairmen. Former Brooklyn GOP Chairman Craig Eaton; former U.S. Rep. Bob Turner (R-Brooklyn-Queens); former Republican mayoral candidate and WABC radio host John Catsimatidis; and Guardian Angels founder and WABC radio host Curtis Sliwa will be sharing the duties of campaign chairmen.

“I’m excited to announce four outstanding co-chairs who are among the most respected individuals in Brooklyn and New York City,” Capano said in a statement.

Vito DiGiovanni, co-host of “The Vito and Vito Show” and president of the Brooklyn Young Republicans, praised the choices. “These four men will help bring a true principled conservative to the New York City Council,” he said.

Gentile, a Democrat who has represented the 43rd Council District in Brooklyn for 13 years, must step down at the end of 2017 due to the city’s term limits law.

Capano is one of three Republicans who have been mentioned as possible candidates for the council seat. Liam McCabe, an aide to U.S. Rep. Dan Donovan, who founded the Brooklyn South Conservative Club, is said to be looking at a run. Also rumored to be in the mix is John Quaglione, deputy chief of staff to state Sen. Marty Golden (R-C-Bay Ridge-Southwest Brooklyn).

On the other side of the political aisle, the Democrats said to be considering running for the seat are Justin Brannan, an aide to Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña; Kevin Peter Carroll, Democratic district leader of the 64th Assembly District; Linda Sarsour, executive director of the Arab-American Association of New York; Josephine Beckmann, district manager of Community Board 10; and Andrew Gounardes, chief counsel to Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams.

Assemblymember Peter Abbate (D-Dyker Heights-Bensonhurst-Sunset Park) is also rumored to be eyeing a switch from the assembly to the council.

In a swipe at the de Blasio administration, Capano said that the 43rd Council District will be on the front-lines next year in sending a message that City Hall’s “progressive policies are progressively bad for New York City.”

Capano also expressed confidence that the council district is “one of those few districts where a Republican can indeed win.”

Vito Palmeri, co-host of “The Vito and Vito Show” and treasurer of the Brooklyn Young Republicans, predicted that the four co-chairmen will “all bring expertise, commitment, and excitement to a candidate that will check the Democratic machine in City Hall.”