Oliver Koppell, a third term Council member and former state attorney general, endorsed Gustavo Rivera in his race to defeat Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada, Jr. this afternoon at a rally held in the Bronx.
The endorsement is the latest in a series of wins for the 34-year-old first time candidate, who was also recently backed by the powerful Working Families Party and Bill Samuel’s New Roosevelt Initiative.
Rivera’s campaign noted that the significance of Koppell’s endorsement comes down to turnout, a crucial factor in a race against a well-financed incumbent.
“Not only does Councilmember Koppell’s district cover over a third of the district, the highest performing electoral districts in the Senate race are in Koppell’s district and consistently come out for him at election time,” Rivera’s campaign said in a statement.
Espada is under multiple investigations for allegedly manipulating his health care clinics for personal gain. He has also come under attack by the state Democratic Party, which is attempting to boot him from the party rolls.
