Upstart Antonio Reynoso knocked off accused groper Vito Lopez in the spirit𒉰ed Democratic primary for a Brooklyn City Council seat, effectively ending Lopez’s stormy political career.
“We won!” Reynoso campaign manager Jennifer Guitterez said, as returns 🍸Tuesda൩y night showed Reynoso trouncing Lopez 49 percent to 37 percent.
Reynoso, 30, chief of staff to Councilwoman Diana Reyna, foiled the comeback bid by the 72-yearꦕ-old former power broker.
Lopez was forced to resign ▨his Assembly seat and post as Brooklyn Democratic Party chairman after being accused of sexual harassment and misconduct by his female staffers.
Councilwoman Sara Gonzalez lost her bid for a third term to repr▨esent her South Brooklyn, Boerum Hill, Red Hook district.
She was🎀 upset by Carlos Mench🌳aca, a former aide to City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, who will become the council’s first Mexican-American.
The primaries were expected to mark a major shift in the legislative branch since 20 of the 51 members could not run for re-election because of term limits. The new council will select Quinn’s successor 🥃as speaker, the second most powerful post in city government after the 🐠mayor.
Among the newcomers is Paul Vallone, so𝔉n of former Council Speaker Peter Vallone Sr.. He won a multi-candidate race for the northeast Queens seat being vacated by disgraced Councilman Dan Halloran.
Another newcomer is Corey ♈Johnson, who beat lawyer Yetta Kurland in a bitter race to succeed Quinn in her Chelsea district.
The high stakes in the c��oun🌳cil races led activist groups to spend heavily on behalf of candidates supporting their views.
The council’s left-leaning Progressive Caucus, which is affiliated with the Wor🧸kingꦏ Families Party, backed 20 incumbent and novice candidates in the hopes of pushing its legislative agenda.
The Working Families Party, which helped Menc🍌haca, celebrated his victory.
“Earthquake! In the face of a flood of real estate cash, this win is a testament to Carlos and the progressive movement,” said Bill Lipton, 🐠the WFP deputy director.
The Jobs For New York PAC, which is backed by the Real Estate Board of New York, spent an astonishing $4.9 million on𒀰 council races in a controversial effort to block left-lea🙈ning candidates from victory. One of the beneficiaries was Vallone, who received $325,000.
“With a couple of races still undecided, 80 percent of the candidates Jobs for NY endorsed won their campaigns,” the group said. “The exit polling confirmed that New Yorkers are concerned about jobs and unemployment which explains why the over♛whelming majority of the candidates we backed were victorious.”
Micah Kellner, an Upper East side assemblyman implicated in a sexual harassment sc🍰andal, lost to Ben Kallos for the seat Jessica La𓆏ppin vacated as she ran for Manhattan borough president.
On the Upper West S♏ide, Mel Wymore, who would have been the first transgender council member, ap🎉peared to have lost to Helen Rosenthal.
Additional reporting by Christina Carrega