Council Member Maria Baez may be a target of the Rainbow Rebels, but her colleague G. Oliver Koppell is enjoying the full support of the people whose leadership he helped fight.
The decision to accept Koppell, who faces a competitive race for his Riverdale seat from the union-backed Anthony Cassino, back into the fold hinged on the support of Assembly Member Jeffrey Dinowitz, the head of the Benjamin Franklin Democratic Club and a dominant force in local politics.
“Oliver and I did disagree on the leadership struggle, I thought he made a mistake,” said Dinowitz, who was given a top position in the new party organization after the leadership change.
In the end, though, Koppell’s recalcitrance was forgiven.
“We’ve had a personal friendship and political relationship for many, many years,” Dinowitz said, “and nothing is going to change that.”
When it became clear that former chair José Rivera had been overthrown, Koppell reached out to Dinowitz, Assembly Member Carl Heastie and then-Assembly Member Ruben Diaz, Jr., to explain that his support of Rivera was born out of loyalty to the party boss for getting him a committee chairmanship in the Council after being denied one by former party leader Roberto Ramirez.
“We had a number of meetings and interactions that basically put me in good stead,” Koppell said. “Was I concerned that they might not support me? Yeah, I was.”
Koppell insisted that he never offered a mea culpa.
“I don’t tend to be quite so abashed,” he said. “Uh, I’m Oliver Koppell. I’ve served this community for over 30 years. I’m the councilman. I’m the elected official. I have some cards too.”
One of those cards was whether he would support Diaz, Jr. in his bid to be Bronx borough president.
Ultimately, Koppell did.
“He didn’t want to have me as an adversary,” Koppell said slyly. “The reality is, I don’t think they wanted to take me on.”
—Joe Walker
The decision to accept Koppell, who faces a competitive race for his Riverdale seat from the union-backed Anthony Cassino, back into the fold hinged on the support of Assembly Member Jeffrey Dinowitz, the head of the Benjamin Franklin Democratic Club and a dominant force in local politics.
“Oliver and I did disagree on the leadership struggle, I thought he made a mistake,” said Dinowitz, who was given a top position in the new party organization after the leadership change.
In the end, though, Koppell’s recalcitrance was forgiven.
“We’ve had a personal friendship and political relationship for many, many years,” Dinowitz said, “and nothing is going to change that.”
When it became clear that former chair José Rivera had been overthrown, Koppell reached out to Dinowitz, Assembly Member Carl Heastie and then-Assembly Member Ruben Diaz, Jr., to explain that his support of Rivera was born out of loyalty to the party boss for getting him a committee chairmanship in the Council after being denied one by former party leader Roberto Ramirez.
“We had a number of meetings and interactions that basically put me in good stead,” Koppell said. “Was I concerned that they might not support me? Yeah, I was.”
Koppell insisted that he never offered a mea culpa.
“I don’t tend to be quite so abashed,” he said. “Uh, I’m Oliver Koppell. I’ve served this community for over 30 years. I’m the councilman. I’m the elected official. I have some cards too.”
One of those cards was whether he would support Diaz, Jr. in his bid to be Bronx borough president.
Ultimately, Koppell did.
“He didn’t want to have me as an adversary,” Koppell said slyly. “The reality is, I don’t think they wanted to take me on.”
—Joe Walker
