Crowley vs. Ognibene: It's on!

From City Hall:

Crowley’s aides describe the campaign as a mostly ideological “contrast of ideas.” Crowley will paint Ognibene as the product of a bygone era, when Rudy Giuliani reigned imperiously over the city, aided by loyal Republicans in the Council.

She will also seek to turn Ognibene’s ties to the mayor into a disadvantage. Crowley touts her opposition to the sprawling development projects sponsored by Bloomberg, saying they distort the character of the district’s largely middle-class neighborhoods.

“Overdevelopment and out-of-character development have been going on for far too long, and they’ve really been compromising the quality of life in our district,” Crowley said of Ognibene. “I don’t know what he was thinking when he saw all this happening and did nothing.”

She added: “I do believe that he’s a conservative at heart, and that’s what he preaches.”

That argument is unlikely to prevent Ognibene from brandishing his conservative credentials. More central, though, will be his argument that his experience and connections in city government will prove invaluable at a time of economic distress.

Not to mention the help from a billionaire mayor.

“You have to have somebody that knows what’s going on at City Hall,” Ognibene said. “The most important relationship that I have is the relationship with the mayor’s office.”

God help Council District 30...