Gentile served as an assistant district attorney in Queens before entering politics in the mid-1990s. He won a state Senate seat in 1996 and won his City Council seat in 2003.

“Gentile has been fighting for Brooklyn for over 20 years. His public service record is unmatched in this race; he is uniquely qualified because of his experience as both an elected official and as a prosecutor in the Queens DA office. Vinnie has been there for Bay Ridge and in September we plan on being there for him,” Bay Rodge Democrats President Chris McCreight stated.

Gentile is part of a crowded race for district attorney that includes perceived front-runner Acting District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, Anne Swern, Ama Dwimoh, Patricia Gatling, Marc Fliedner and John Gangemi.

Gonzalez has been serving as acting district attorney since the death of former District Attorney Ken Thompson last year.

Gentile is term-limited and cannot run for re-election to the council. He is free, however, to run for district attorney.

The Democratic Primary will take place in Sept. 12. The general election is Nov. 7.

Meanwhile, the Bay Ridge Democrats also announced their endorsements in other races.

The club, which was founded by Justin Brannan, has endorsed him in the race for Gentile’s council seat.

“Justin was endorsed for his track record of getting things done for people in Bay Ridge and beyond. Justin is the rare candidate who knows how the city council works but is driven not by politics, but a true desire to help our community. The bottom line is that we know where Justin stands on the issues because he’s been actively fighting for them even before he got involved in electoral politics. When Justin talks about education or mass transit, we know he gets it because, as the only candidate born and raised in Bay Ridge, he’s lived it his entire life,” McCreight stated.

In the coming months, the Bay Ridge Democrats will be focused on the petitioning process to help Gentile and Brannan get on the ballot, McCreight said. Once the ballot positions have been secured, club members will organize phone banks and canvass operations on behalf of both campaigns. 

The club is also supporting Mayor Bill Bill de Blasio, Comptroller Scott Stringer, Public Advocate Letitia James and Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams for re-election. 

James, who was also supported by the Bay Ridge Democrats when she first ran in 2013, said she was grateful for the endorsement.

“Four years ago, I set out to distinguish the Public Advocate’s Office as a vehicle for economic and social justice for everyday New Yorkers. The Bay Ridge Democrats have stood with me since the very beginning as we have fought for the most vulnerable New Yorkers in every corner of our city. I’ve been proud to lead on a range of issues including equal pay for women, criminal justice reform and child welfare. But there’s so much more work ahead of us. Together, we will continue to fight to ensure that the promise of New York City is attainable to all New Yorkers,” James said in a statement.

In the 2013, the club had a perfect record. Every candidate the club endorsed was victorious, including de Blasio. 

“It’s an honor to receive the endorsement of the Bay Ridge Democrats. They were some of the earliest and most dedicated supporters of our progressive vision for New York four years ago, and they have been a true partner ever since,” de Blasio said in a statement. “The passion they brought to our campaign in 2013 continues now, and together, I know we will be able to keep working to create a better, fairer New York City for another four years.”

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