Democrats finally have their candidate to run in the special election for the 11th congressional district: Brooklyn City Councilman Vincent Gentile. NY1's Courtney Gross filed the following report.

As expected, City Councilman Vincent Gentile of Brooklyn received the backing of the Staten Island Democratic Party Thursday night to run in a special election to replace disgraced former Rep. Michael Grimm.

"I humbly accept your nomination to run for the congressional seat in the 11th congressional district," he said.

Gentile will now face off against Staten Island District Attorney Dan Donovan, who is widely considered the favorite in the race.

The 11th district includes all of Staten Island. Gentile is from the other, smaller portion of the district, in southwest Brooklyn.

"So we all know this race is a challenge, and we start out, people tell us, from behind. But that's OK," Gentile said.

In his stump speech, Gentile said it was his legislative experience that made him the right candidate, and he slammed Republicans for embarrassing the district, referring to Michael Grimm's resignation.

"The last three Republican members of Congress this leadership gave us all disappeared into the wind, right? All gone. All gone," Gentile said. "One left us flat and the other two left in disgrace. One of them now a convict and awaiting sentence."

The councilman only made passing reference to the death of Eric Garner, a heated issue in the district and thought of as a weakness for Donovan. Donovan's office failed to secure an indictment against the police officer who put Garner in a chokehold.

After the speech, Gentile argued that Donovan failed to show leadership on the issue, and he said the transcripts of that grand jury proceeding should be released.

"When there was disruption in the streets and chaos was breaking loose, our district attorney was nowhere to be seen, and that's not leadership," Gentile said.

Gentile's nomination officially kicks off the short campaign season. The special election is scheduled for May 5.