Noach Dear: “The 800-Pound Gorilla In The Race”; Source: “Won’t Be Running”

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noach-dearThe NY Daily News reports: Borough Park Councilman Simcha Felder hasn’t officially resigned his 44th District seat to become deputy city controller, but the field of would-be successors is already growing crowded.

Two candidates began stockpiling campaign war chests to run for the Borough Park seat last year, before the extension of term limits allowed the incumbent Democrat to seek reelection. A third candidate says he’ll self-finance his campaign.

But the “800-pound gorilla in the race,” as one Democratic strategist put it, could be a former councilman who held the seat for 19 years and may be looking to make a political comeback.

Noach Dear, who was term-limited out of office in 2001 and is now a Civil Court judge, has been reported to be mulling a bid. Since becoming a judge, he’s gained acclaim for cracking down on suits by debt collectors.

Observers say Dear, who would have to resign from the bench to run, will only take the risk if he’s confident he can win.

Matzav.com has learned, however, that Judge Dear has all but decided against running. A source close to Dear tells Matzav.com that the former 18-year Councilman is satisfied in his current position and has been helping people who are being treated roughly  by credit card companies and collection agencies

Quickest out of the gate was David Greenfield, executive vice president of the Sephardic Community Federation, who declared he was running the same day Felder said he’d step down.

Greenfield has over $160,000 in the bank from his aborted 2009 run, and has already racked up endorsements from several local pols. He said he’ll focus on “making New York more affordable” for middle-class families.

Joe Lazar, a former official in several local government agencies, has amassed a $90,000 war chest and said he’d work to beef up city services in the neighborhood.

In a twist, Dear, Greenfield and Lazar currently all live outside the boundaries of the 44th district. They’d have to move back into the district by Election Day.

Moishe Oiring, a Wall Street banker and former aide to Borough President Marty Markowitz, also plans to run for the seat, and said he’ll stress the residency issue in his self-financed campaign.

“Everybody talks about things they want to do to to the community, but no one actually lives in the community,” Oiring said.

Ezra Friedlander, who runs a public relations firm, also said he’s considering running.

All the candidates so far come from the Orthodox Jewish section of the district. Former Brooklyn Councilman Ken Fisher, a longtime local political observer, said a dark horse could arise from elsewhere in the area, which also includes Midwood and Bensonhurst.

“Somebody else might decide to jump into the race if the notion is that the Jewish vote is going to be split,” Fisher said.

A special election won’t be scheduled until Felder’s resignation takes effect Jan. 31, but is expected some time in March.

{NY Daily News/Matzav.com/Noam Amdurski-Matzav.com Newscenter}


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