Gentile Predicts A Golden Loss A Decade After Losing Seat

Vincent Gentile

By Peter Rugg

Ten years after losing his state Senate seat to Martin Golden, Vincent Gentile was confident voters were ready for a change on Tuesday night.

“Oh man, it’s been ten years exactly,” Gentile said while touring poll sites. “Wouldn’t that just be the perfect way to celebrate the anniversary?”

Gentile, currently a New York City councilman representing District 43, was the last Democrat to hold the seat. Sen. Golden is facing a challenge from Andrew Gounardes, a lawyer.

Gentile said he’d been out at the polls since 6 a.m. and was very happy with the turnout.

“Golden-Gounardes is absolutely the hottest race of the people I’m talking to right now,” he said. “Of course, I’m a little biased.

Gounardes said even areas of traditionally  low voter response were seeing high numbers.

“Spots like Bensonhurst you don’t usually see numbers like this,” he said. “But today it was absolutely packed.”

Gentile is not up for re-election until 2013.