What a long, strange trip the campaign for City Council in the 39th district has been. As has been said by me and others, it is quite stellar group of candidates that decided to run for Bill diBlasio's seat for a district that spans Carroll Gardens, Park Slope, Windsor Terrace, Kensington, and Borough Park. 

Look at them: Brad Lander, Josh Skaller, Bob Zuckerman, John Heyer, and Gary Reilly. Any one of them would be a fine City Councilman. But only one can have the 39th seat.

Things were very civilized back in April and May. The forums/debates were good humored and convivial. It was clear that this smart and likable group of candidates agreed on most issues.

Indeed, it was clear that they all had interesting backgrounds and experiences that qualified them for the City Council, a position that is perfect step into politics for non-politicians.

Of course, there were plenty of sharp elbows and moments of contention. Plenty. 

—John Heyer was attacked for being against abortion and gay marriage. He managed to get the endorsement of a key Carroll Gardens Democratic club
and there was much sniping about the influence of Buddy Scotto, his
mentor and employer at the Funeral Home (he is also assistant to Borough President Marty Markowtiz).

–Attacks between Lander and Skaller,  in my opinion, were gratuitous—and desperate—jabs (by each campaign) at two men who's views are more alike than different.

—Skaller proved himself to be an aggressive—and at times—a sharp elbowed candidate willing to play the politics of attack for points with the voters.

–Former presidential candidate and Chairman of the National Democratic Committee Dr. Howard Dean came to Park Slope to endorse Josh Skaller but ended up endorsing both Skaller and Lander.

–The Superfund for the Gowanus issue was briefly a contentious litmus test for the candiates who all (except Heyer) ultimately agreed it was the right way to go.

—Zuckerman and Reilly managed to stay out of the negative frey for the most part. They conducted themselves with grace and enthusiasm for much of the campaign and focused on the issues that mattered to them. That said, Zuckerman did lead the charge against Heyer's anti-gay marriage views and that, in my opinion, was worth noting in a district that is largely progressive and pro-gay marriage.

So here we are just a week and a half away from the election. We've seen these guys under pressure; we've seen what they're willing to do to win the race. We've seen them speak their hearts and minds, we've seen them on good days and bad. And now it's up to the voters in the 39th to decide.

The 39ers

Breakfast-of-Candidates: Gary Reilly. At 34 he's not quite the youngest of the 39th candidates (John Heyer beats
him on that score) but this intelligent and likable man is plenty wet behind the ears and full of
enthusiasm about public transportation and other issues that affect voters.

Breakfast-of-Candidates: Bob Zuckerman. A long-time politico, Zuckerman is currently
executive director of the Gowanus Canal Community Development
Corporation and the Gowanus Canal Conservancy.  He remembers the night
Richard Nixon was elected in 1968 (he was 7-years-old) and one of his
heroes is Harvey Milk.

Breakfast-of-Candidates: Brad Lander, Lander has two master's degrees and
a BA from the University of Chicago. He made his mark running
community organizations like the Fifth Avenue Committee and Pratt
Center for Community Development, advocating for affordable housing and community sustainablility.

Breakfast-of-Candidates: Josh  Skaller. A former computer music composer at
Harvard, it was Howard Dean's presidential campaign that jumpstarted
his interest in electoral politics. As president of the Central
Brooklyn Independent Democrats, he learned to facilitiate dialogue  and
manage strong personalities. Running on a community empowerment
platform with a strong interest in the environment and smart
development, Josh is proud to be refusing donations from  real estate
developers.

Breakfast of Candidates: John Heyer: An assistant to Borough President Marty Markowitz, Heyer is the only candidate for City Council born in the 39th district. A
fifth-generation Carroll Gardener, his twin passions are politics and
theology. He works as a funeral director at Scotto's Funeral Home and
his knowledge of the history of the neighborhood runs deep though he is
only 27-years-old.

Breakfast-of-Candidates: David Pechefsky. The Green Candidate, Pechefsky worked for 10 years in the central staff of
the New York City Council. With a master's degree in public policy and
experience advising local governments in Africa, Pechefsky knows how the
City Council works from the inside out and has ideas about how it could
better serve the people of New York City.