SOUTH BEACH — The Staten Island Democratic Party picked Brooklyn City Councilman Vincent Gentile to run for the congressional seat left vacant by former U.S. Rep. Michael Grimm.
Gentile accepted the party nomination Thursday during a meeting at the Crystal Room in South Beach. He will run against the Republican pick, District Attorney Dan Donovan, in the May 5 special election.
With the campaign slogan "A Fresh Start" printed on fliers, Gentile took a shot at the Republican Party's last three representatives, saying they have "embarrassed" the district.
"One left us flat — and the other two left in disgrace," Gentile said, referring to Susan Molinari, who resigned her seat to take a job at CBS; Vito Fossella, who didn't run for re-election after a DWI charge; and Grimm, who is awaiting sentencing for tax fraud.
Grimm resigned from his post in the 11th Congressional District — which covers Staten Island and parts of Brooklyn — on Jan. 5 after he pleaded guilty to tax fraud for hiding profits at an Upper East Side eatery he co-owned.
"Haven't they embarrassed us enough? The answer is yes, and why should we allow them to dictate to us another candidate?" Gentile said.
After a judge's order, Gov. Andrew Cuomo last week set May 5 as the date for the special election.
Gentile also took aim at Donovan.
"I'm the only one in this race with experience as a legislator," Gentile said Thursday. "My opponent has none and I'm going into my 18th year as a legislator."
After his nearly 20-minute speech at the meeting, Gentile also backed efforts to get the courts to release testimony from the Eric Garner grand jury, which Donovan has been pushing to keep sealed.
"We don't know what happened in the grand jury and what we need to have is those transcripts released," Gentile said. "I understand the reason for secrecy, but they don't apply here."
Gentile also pointed to his experience representing Staten Island in the state Senate from 1996 to 2002, which covered Brooklyn and parts of the North Shore of Staten Island.
Councilwoman Debi Rose, the only other elected official at Thursday's meeting, said Staten Island became a "laughing stock" during the last election for the seat between Grimm and Domenic Recchia and that Gentile would fix that image.
"Staten Island was often portrayed on the national stage as a laughing stock," Rose said. "Vincent Gentile will, and can, bring respectability back to Staten Island."
