Tensions Between Hikind And Greenfield Grow Following Primary Election

The bitterness between Councilman David Greenfield and Assemblyman Dov Hikind has increased following a series of post-election jabs exchanged on social media. The Jewish Week is reporting that the icy relationship between the legislators, both political heavyweights in the Orthodox Jewish community in Borough Park, has soured considerably following the results of the September 10 primary election.

Prior to the primaries, we reported on the contrasting endorsements put forth by Greenfield and Hikind. The Orthodox communities of Borough Park and Midwood are notorious for voting as a bloc and Greenfield and Hikind, both popular among their voters, tested out how far their influence stretched. In a stunning move, Hikind endorsed Ken Thompson in the Brooklyn District Attorney race. Greenfield was for Hynes, warning Orthodox voters that electing Thompson as DA would go against their interests. Greenfield bashed Hikind and Thompson in his endorsement of Hynes.

“Hikind can yell and scream,” Mr. Greenfield said, “but it won’t change the fact that his candidate for District Attorney [Thompson] has promised to target the Orthodox Jewish community.”

Hikind responded to Greenfield by dismissing his statements about Thompson and accusing the Greenfield camp of practicing “gutter politics.”

On election night, Greenfield tweeted that he was hopeful that both Ken Thompson and mayoral candidate Bill Thompson, another Hikind endorsement, would both lose.

“Shaping up to be another big loss for Assemblyman Dov Hikind in Boro Park,” Greenfield wrote. “Possible that BOTH Thompsons may have lost BP despite his efforts.”

Thompson wound up defeating Hynes and on election night, and Hikind took to Twitter to celebrate Thompson’s victory while taking time to pour salt in Greenfield’s wounds.

“Despite @NYCGreenfield‘s race baiting and gutter politics,@KenThompson4DA enjoys decisive victory,” Hikind tweeted.

In light of Thompson’s victory, Greenfield wouldn’t let up his distrust of the candidate.

“I stand by everything I said in the campaign and remain concerned about [Thompson] as our future DA. I’ll be keeping an eye on him to make sure he’s doing the right thing,” Greenfield said.

The Jewish Week described another race that split the candidates as well as who Hikind was considering to endorse in the upcoming mayoral election between Bill de Blasio and Joe Lhota:

Greenfield did not back a candidate in the mayoral race and is still keeping his options open. He and Hikind supported opposing candidates in a nearby Council race in Sunset Park, with Hikind backing the successful challenger, Carlos Menchaca against incumbent Sara Gonzales, Greenfield’s choice.

On other matters, Hikind said he would back William Thompson as long as he stays in the mayoral race but in a matchup of Bill de Blasio, the likely nominee, verus the Republican nominee, Joseph Lhota, he was “leaning toward” de Blasio, who represented a neighboring Council district for eight years ending in 2009.

Lhota may be a natural fit for the conservative voters of Borogh Park who largely oppose tax hikes and favor tough police policies, but Hikind said “Bill is a very good friend. We will have some very serious conversations.”

Despite all the animosity between Greenfield and Hikind, Greenfield claims that he has offered an olive branch to Hikind many times but has been ignored.

“I have called Dov Hikind many times and offered to sit down with him to work things out for the good of the community but time after time he has declined to do so,” Greenfield told Jewish Week.