“It’s obvious Mayor de Blasio’s progressive policies are progressively bad for New York. We need someone with common sense, fortitude and a small business background, who has the guts to take on the mayor from the floor of City Council,” Capano told his supporters at the Feb. 26 kickoff event.

Capano also blasted a move by the City Council that could lead to the establishment of legal shooting galleries where drug addicts could receive clean hypodermic needles to help reduce the spread of disease.

“A perfect example of this far left political insanity is the City Council spending a $100,000 to study the need for heroin injection facilities. It’s common sense: Heroin junkies need rehab, not a taxpayer funded shooting gallery that will only further enable their addiction,” said Capano, an adjunct political science professor who also manages a Gristedes supermarket in Manhattan.

Capano is running for the Republican Party’s nomination to run for the seat in the 43rd Council District, which is currently represented by Democrat Vincent Gentile. Gentile, who won the seat in 2003, is prohibited by New York City’s term limits law from running for another term. Gentile has to leave office at the end of this year. The election to determine his successor will take place on Nov. 7.

The 43rd Council District covers Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights and includes sections of Bensonhurst and Bath Beach.

Republicans Liam McCabe and John Quaglione are also running for the party’s nomination.

The Democrats running for Gentile’s seat include Justin Brannan, Kevin Peter Carroll, Rev. Khader El-Yateem and Nancy Tong.

Assemblymember Peter Abbate (D-Dyker Heights-Bensonhurst) has confirmed that he is considering running, but has not made a formal announcement.

At his fundraiser, Capano endorsed by Sliwa, former Brooklyn Republican Party Chairman Craig Eaton, and former Republican mayoral candidate John Catsimatidis. 

“Bob Capano lives and works in the real world. He manages over 50 employees in a very tough business. He knows what it means to balance a budget, make a payroll and deal with the constant headache of excessive city, state and federal regulations. He’ll fight for the hardworking residents of his district and the small businesses that are the life blood of our city,” Catsimatidis said.

Catsimatidis, who ran for the GOP nomination for mayor in 2013 and lost to Joseph Lhota, is the owner of the Gristedes chain of supermarkets.

Eaton praised Capano’s record of working with Brooklyn’s Democrats and Republicans, which he said, gives Capano the best chance to actually win the general election. “I enthusiastically endorse Bob Capano because he has the experience, judgment and temperament to lead. Anyone who has seen Bob Capano at work, fighting for our community, knows that he’ll make a great city councilman,” Eaton said.

---

Related Articles

Thinking ahead, Capano picks 4 campaign chairmen

March 3 | By Paula Katinas