Brooklyn’s outgoing district attorney, Charles "Joe" Hynes, plans to help his rival transition into his office and take a vacation with his wife, a campaign spokesman said Wednesday.
Hynes, first elected in 1989, was routed in Tuesday night’s general election, losing a bitter and negative race to former federal prosecutor Kenneth Thompson by 50 points, according to preliminary results from the city Board of Elections. Thompson defeated Hynes in the September Democratic primary, but the district attorney made a last-ditch effort to hold onto the seat on the Republican ticket.
"He had reached out to Ken Thompson and said that he was making office space available for him," said Hynes spokesman Jerry Schmetterer, who added that Hynes was unable to personally speak with his rival.
In the meantime, Schmetterer said Hynes would take a postponed vacation with his wife, possibly to Bermuda.
Hynes, a former city fire commissioner and special prosecutor on high-profile cases, had said he wants to stay active in public life outside the district attorney’s office.
"He feels he still has the energy and desire to continue to serve," Schmetterer said. "I’m sure that there will be a number of opportunities coming his way."
A Thompson campaign spokesman declined to comment on the transition. Thompson had campaigned on evaluating the offices’ alternative-to-prison programs, stop-and-frisk abuses and getting an independent review of dozens of troubled convictions that dogged Hynes during the race.
"We must ensure that no man or woman is convicted wrongfully again," Thompson said during his victory speech. "We must free all the people who have been convicted wrongfully."
