BAY RIDGE: Bay Ridge: Golden, Grimm have to defend their seats at the polls

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Brooklyn Daily

Both state Sen. Marty Golden and Rep. Michael Grimm are fending off Democratic challengers hoping to take Bay Ridge out of the GOP’s grasp for good.

State Sen. Marty Golden vs.Andrew Gounardes

Golden (R-Bay Ridge) is seeking a sixth term in office, while underdog Democrat Andrew Gounardes is determined to unseat the legislator in a campaign that has become increasingly bitter.

Marty Golden

• Retired New York City police officer. Former councilman and owner of the Bay Ridge Manor catering hall.

• Defeated then-state Sen. Vincent Gentile (D–Bay Ridge) in 2002 to represent a wide swath of Brooklyn from Bay Ridge to Marine Park. In turn, Gentile took over Golden’s council seat.

• Age 62, married. Two children.

Andrew Gounardes

• Attorney. He’s also a Community Board 10 member and an Eagle Scout.

• Former aide to Councilman Vincent Gentile and U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez (D–New Jersey). Currently works for Citizens Committee for New York City.

• Age 27, single. No children.

The campaign

• Golden claims that Gounardes lacks experience and wouldn’t be able to bring home the bacon from the GOP-controlled senate.

• Gounardes claims Golden has www.brooklyndaily.com/stories/2012/41/br_goldengounardes_2012_10_19_bk.html). ">consistently voted against his constituents’ interests.

• Golden has come under fire for condemning police surveillance of mosques after signing a letter to Police Commissioner Ray Kelly praising the program in 2011.

• Gounardes has raised $278,000 for his campaign — small change compared to Golden’s $1.1 million.

• • •

Rep. Michael Grimm vs. Mark Murphy

Rep. Michael Grimm is in the middle of a controversy surrounding his fund-raising practices. His challenger Mark Murphy — the son of disgraced former Staten Island Rep. Jack Murphy — hopes to exploit that.

Michael Grimm

• Served in the U.S. Marines during the first Gulf War. Former FBI agent and small business owner.

• Swooped in on a wave of Tea Party support to defeat Rep. Mike McMahon in 2010.

• Age 42, divorced. No children.

Mark Murphy

• Former television actor, real estate agent, and aide to Public Advocate Bill de Blasio.

• His father, Rep. Jack Murphy, served 20 months in prison in the 1980s for accepting bribes from federal agents disguised as Arab sheikhs.

• Age 41, single. No children.

The campaign

• Murphy has blasted Grimm over accusations that the legislator strong-armed an Orthodox Jewish congregation into donating to his 2010 campaign, and for reports that federal agents took Grimm fund-raiser Ofer Biton into custody for extortion and ecstasy-dealing.

• Grimm has denied wrongdoing, and has cast Murphy as a dabbling daddy’s boy who returned to the district after 18 years in Hollywood in order to run for office.

• Murphy failed to appear at any debates or candidates forums in Brooklyn, and only turned out for one in Staten Island.

• Grimm’s campaign collected more than $2 million and spent $1.7 million. Murphy has scratched together $824,424 and spent $694,635.

Will Bredderman

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