District Council 37 backed three of the four winning candidates in the Feb. 25 special elections. The winners, will fill seats on the City Council and State Assembly.

“We support our friends and look for them to stand by us as we deal with the current budget crises,” said Leonard Allen, chair of DC 37’s Political Action Committee.

In one of the closest races in recent history, former State Senator Vincent Gentile defeated his opponent by 31 votes to win the City Council seat for Brooklyn’s 43rd District.

A hand count of the votes broke the apparent tie that gave both candidates about 30 percent. Mr. Gentile, a former prosecutor, served three terms as State Senator.

Michael Benjamin won the State Assembly seat for District 79, when longtime Assemblywoman Gloria Davis resigned. Assemblyman Benjamin will represent the Morrisania section of the Bronx. He was the downstate coordinator for State Assemblywoman Aurelia Greene and also worked for Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion and Representative Jose Serrano.

In Brooklyn, William Frank Boyland, Jr. won the State Assembly seat representing Ocean Hill-Brownsville, Flatbush and Central Brooklyn, the 55th District. A former SSEU Local 371 member, Mr. Boyland ran for the seat vacated when his father retired shortly after reelection last November.