Some City Council Races for 2025 Already Starting to Take Shape on East Side
With East Side council member Keith Powers term limited at the end of 2025, some are already gearing up for the November 2025 election.
| 29 Apr 2024 | 03:06
Keith Powers still has a year and half left before his term limited run ends at the conclusion of 2025 but Stuyvesant Town resident Ben Wetzler has already tossed his hat into the ring to succeed Powers. Photo: NYC Council.
Campaigning Like Its 2025–Yes, you read it right. 2025 electioneering’s underway even though 2024 elections are not yet history and we don’t know if ex-President Trump will be bemoaning a ‘stolen election.’ Stay tuned.
Undeterred, Ben Wetzler, a lifelong New Yorker - Patch online quoted Wetzler as saying that he’s lived in nearly every part of the twisty-turny district and now wants to represent it in the City Council. Wetzler was District Leader on the UES (District 5) and is gearing up to run for the District 4 City Council seat presently occupied by Keith Powers who is term limited and can’t run for a third consecutive term.
Ben, who is 34, grew up in District 4 in the East 60s and his dad Mark Wetzler still lives in the same apartment. After living on the UES and serving as District Leader on the UES, Ben moved to Stuyvesant Town and is now a member of Tilden Democratic Club and Eleanor Roosevelt Democratic Club
Wetzler’s kickoff/launch party was packed and buzzing at Globe bar on 23rd St between 3rd and Lex in late April. The back party room was filled with his friends and neighbors. Growing up, he lived in the East 60s, in the apartment where his dad Mark Wetzler still lives. Among Ben’s supporters were up- and down- towners, including Linda Porto (Stuy Town), Mike Shatzkin (Midtown East) and former uptown Four Freedom Democratic Club members Frank Wilkinson, John Wagner, Kim Moscaritolo, John Bartos. And, of course, Ben’s partner Lauren Trapanotto. Lauren was a Democrat State Committee Member and is now, with Ben, a Stuy Town resident.
The Globe bar’s tv silently blared with the baseball game du jour as Ben thanked his assembled supporters and told them why he was running, “I have the experience and the commitment to this neighborhood to help shepherd it through these hard times and get the city back on track, with better infrastructure, workable solutions on education and public safety, and housing that working families can afford. That’s the promise I’m making to the voters here, and why I’m so grateful for all of your support.”
He’s got at least a year-and-a-half to get out the message.
Remembering Jackie Ludorf - Back in the 1990s there were Republican electeds on the UES. Not anymore. One Republican, Jacqueline (Jackie) Ludorf, was a District Leader, and she was my neighbor when we lived on East 86th Street. Jackie was active in the community and was chair of Community Board 8.
Jackie had moved out of New York in the last two or three years. I learned of her passing and that the Knickerbocker Republican Club was having a remembrance for her at Dorrian’s. The back room was filled and I was especially touched to see that former UES District 4 City Councilman Andrew Sidamon-Eristoff was there to pay his respects. He represented the district from 1993 to 1999. He succeeded Carolyn Maloney.
Andrew warmly remembered Jackie playing an instrumental role in his electoral victories back in the 90s and being a source of both wit and wisdom. In comments, slightly edited here, opined that “I was always particularly impressed by her civic orientation and quiet leadership qualities,” and that she “earned the respect of her peer community activists and rose to be an effective and admired chair of CB 8.”
Eristoff passed along remarks about Jackie from others: Former Council Member Charles Millard (R-CD5): “She personified the Republican Party and always had a good thing to say. You could always count on her.”
Former Assembly Member John Ravitz (R-73d) “She was always great to work with. She lived by the motto “Check your ego at the door.”
Political Consultant Bill O’Reilly: “Jackie was aces.”
Side note and coincidentally - Eristoff held the City Council seat Ben Wetzler is seeking. Twenty-some-odd years later.
Guide to the East 60s-Thanks to the East Sixties Neighborhood Association and Judy Schneider and Barry Schneider for the ESNA Around the Neighborhood Directory which presents and promotes the Merchants and Institutions in the East 60s. A hand-held directory is definitely no longer the norm. Hard to imagine the physical embodiment of a guide-you know, a page turner. Now it’s a Smartphone or a computer. With the ESNA Directory, there’s a Contents page up front and you can skim through by flipping pages. No mouse. Starting with “A” - there’s Animal Hospital & Emergency Care, Art and Custom Custom & Framing, “B” - for Bakery & Confection, Banks, Barber/Beauty Salon & Services. And on through the alphabet to “R” - Real Estate, Restaurant/Catering/Takeout and everything in between. And finally to “W” - Watch & Jewelry Repair and Wine & Liquor.
To get a copy, link to the website: esna-nyc.com, and the directory is listed. New write-ups are regularly added. Or call 212 713-5826 and leave a message. Or email: info@esna-nyc.com.
Thanks to Barry and Judy Schneider for this neighborhood resource. They collected all the information, put it together, dealt with the printer and will be distributing to the Hospitals and Institutions to the new people who come to the community to start their internships or residencies, etc. The Schneiders do the outreach starting in May and arrange to get them the directories.
