By N. Clark Judd

Onlookers in the crowd of about 60 who attended a candidates forum presented by the Association of Riverdale Co-ops at PS 24 on May 26 said both incumbent City Councilman Oliver Koppell and his opponent, former Community Board 8 chairman Tony Cassino, made strong first impressions. It was the first time the two had presented their cases side by side.

Mr. Koppell emphasized his experience, which includes a stint as New York State attorney general and decades in the Assembly, and Mr. Cassino — now head of Board 8’s traffic and transportation committee — hung his case chiefly on his own experience as a volunteer in the neighborhood.

Both men are seeking the Democratic nomination for the City Council District 11 seat in a Sept. 15 primary election. The winner will, presumably, face opponents from other parties in the November 3 general election. Only registered Democrats may vote in the party’s primary.

“I think the race is Councilman Koppell’s to lose,” said David Epstein, 31, who lives on Independence Avenue. “And so I think Mr. Cassino did a good job showing why he might be qualified for it, but in my mind Councilman Koppell still showed his [accomplishments].”

Not everyone believed both candidates performed equally well.

“I don’t know if I want to be quoted taking a … side, but it seemed to me that the incumbent seemed to be less than honest,” said Nils Graham, 43, of Amalgamated Houses.

He said he was referring to the involvement of Mr. Koppell’s wife, real estate lawyer Lorraine Coyle, in the deal that consolidated the land for a now halffinished and derelict 12-story apartment building on Oxford Avenue at Tulfan Terrace. The tower is now in foreclosure.

Mr. Koppell said during the forum that the city should do all it can to see to it that the Tulfan Terrace project is completed, because it’s still “brand new.” But he didn’t mention his wife’s role in the development.

Construction halted in 2006 after about two years of work. Mr. Cassino advocated tearing the building down.