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Kalman Yeger, left, and Yoni Hikind.
The New York Daily News released its endorsements in key City Council races on Saturday, and for a contentious seat in the heavily Orthodox neighborhood of Borough Park, Brooklyn, the paper reluctantly endorsed a candidate it had previously criticized.
Two candidates are facing off on Tuesday: Kalman Yeger, a handpicked protege of outgoing councilman David Greenfield, and Yoni Hikind, the son of state Assemblyman Dov Hikind.
The Daily News had previously slammed Greenfield for using bureaucratic maneuvers to hand Yeger the Democratic party endorsement without a public vote. But the Daily News was even harsher towards the son of Dov Hikind, who “poured government money into a group that kept Yoni employed as a youth counselor,” the paper noted, calling it an “act of rotten nepotism.”
The endorsement went on, calling Yoni Hikind “way, way, way out of his depth.” Hikind reportedly dodged softball questions about the city budget and mental health programs in an editorial board interview.
“Pragmatic, with-it Kalman Yeger is miles better,” the Daily News concluded. “Vote for him.”
The Borough Park race has been incredibly contentious, with memes and smears being slung against both candidates on social media, WhatsApp, and advertising in Yiddish and English.
The New York Post did not issue an endorsement in the Yeger-Hikind race.
Contact Aiden Pink at pink@forward.com or on Twitter, @aidenpink