Things are going to heat up at the polls in Midwood tomorrow! First, former councilman and deputy comptroller Simcha Felder is going to take on state Sen. David Storobin. Then, state Sen. Kevin Parker is going to defend his seat against a young woman who loves the color pink.
State Sen. David Storobin vs. Simcha Felder
Storobin proved himself an adept political candidate when he defeated Councilman Lew Fidler for disgraced state Sen. Carl Kruger’s seat. With Kruger’s seat disappearing, the young legislator has his sights set on the new so-named “Super Jewish District” that includes parts of Borough Park, Midwood, and Homecrest. But well-financed Orthodox candidate Simcha Felder has his eyes on the same prize.
State Sen. David Storobin
• Republican. Defeated Fidler for disgraced former Senator Carl Kruger’s seat in a hotly contested race that came down to 16 votes.
• Upon being elected, he sought to repeal New York’s same-sex marriage law.
• Emigrated to the United States from the Soviet Union when he was 12.
Simcha Felder
• Democrat. Former councilman and Deputy Comptroller for Accountancy and Budget.
• He’s endorsing the Romney-Ryan presidential ticket and said that, if elected, he plans to caucus with state Republicans.
• The Orthodox candidate has promised to “bring home the pastrami” to his district.
The campaign
• Things got nasty when Felder put out a 15-page mailer in Yiddish that, according to some translations, called Storobin a “son without a name,” — a major insult in Orthodox Jewish circles. Felder’s campaign disputed the translation, claiming the phrase meant that “he isn’t known around here.”
• Storobin has been “playing up his Jewish-ness” in an attempt to win votes in the district’s heavily Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods, political watchdogs noted.
• Simcha Felder has raised more than $500,000, campaign finance records show. Storobin has raised significantly less.
— Eli Rosenberg
• • •
State Sen. Kevin Parker vs. Mindy Meyer
Conservative candidate Mindy Meyer made a splash this spring with her all-pink wardrobe and her claims that she’ll do well in Albany because everyone is, like, totally bored up there. But to win her seat she’ll have to go through incumbent state Sen. Kevin Parker, who — as his criminal record shows — is not timid about throwing a few punches.
State Sen. Kevin Parker
• Elected to the state senate in 2002.
• Was arrested for slugging a traffic agent after receiving a citation in 2005. The misdemeanor charges were dropped after he agreed to take anger management classes.
• The anger management classes apparently didn’t take. Parker lost his position as state senate Majority Whip after he was arrested for assaulting a New York Post photographer in 2009. He was ultimately convicted of a misdemeanor and was able to retain his senate seat.
Mindy Meyer
• At 22, Meyer is the youngest female candidate running for the state senate.
• Meyer served as a judicial intern in the Kings County Supreme Court.
• Her favorite color is pink. Her favorite movie is “The Notebook.” Not “Legally Blonde,” as many have reported.
The campaign
• Meyer made headlines for her “Legally Blonde”-inspired wardrobe and campaign website that shows her wearing a pink pants suit and broadcasts the words “I’m a senator and I know it” to the song, “I’m sexy and I know it.”
• Meyer has failed to debate Parker, despite numerous attempts by the Jewish Press to schedule a sit down between the two candidates.
• Meyer’s campaign-finance filings prove that she is not a fiscal conservative: she spent $840.55 more than she took in on her campaign. Parker pulled together $8,856.69 for his bid for a sixth term.
— Colin Mixson
