On a snowy, sleety, windy Friday morning, Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, one of a handful of Democratic mayoral candidates hoping to win over the Riverdale-based Benjamin Franklin Reform Democratic Club, trekked up to the Bronx to endorse Andrew Cohen, the club’s favored candidate to fill Oliver Koppell’s soon-to-be-vacant District 11 Council seat, which includes Norwood, Bedford Park, Riverdale, Woodlawn, and much of Kingsbridge.

In front of Mosholu Montefiore Community Center, a hub for youth, parents and seniors in the Norwood area, de Blasio said Cohen was “unquestionably the best choice” for the District 11 Council seat. “I’ve gotten to know Andy and I’ve come to really appreciate his intelligence, integrity and his energy,” de Blasio said.

The Public Advocate added that Cohen had prepared himself to be an effective council member because he had “labored in the vineyards,” a reference to Cohen’s experience as counsel to Assemblyman Jeff Dinowitz and as a member of Community Board 8.

Like Council Speaker Christine Quinn, another Democratic mayoral hopeful who recently endorsed Cohen, de Blasio admitted he hadn’t met the other candidates for the District 11 seat, including Cliff Stanton, Cheryl Keeling and possibly Ari Hoffnung.

“I’m aware of them, but my strong belief was that when I looked at Andy’s achievements, I looked at his record, I looked at the people he’s worked with. It was a no-brainer,” de Blasio said, according to the Riverdale Press.

Hoffnung, a deputy comptroller who has run for office in the past, said he still hasn’t decided whether to jump in the race, though he’s continuing to raise money for that possibility.

“It would be an honor and a privilege to represent Norwood in the New York City Council,” Hoffnung said in an email. “I am encouraged by the number of people urging me to run for office but have yet to make a final decision. In the meantime, I will continue to be laser-focused on serving New Yorkers as Deputy Comptroller and helping make New York City an even better place to live and do business.”

In addition to support from de Blasio and Quinn, Cohen has also been endorsed by Dinowitz, Koppell, State Senator Jeff Klein and Congressman Eliot Engel.

In the wake of past endorsements, Stanton has called Cohen a “manufactured candidate” and says his own independence will be an asset. But in a recent interview, Cohen defended his endorsements, saying any council member will need support from other officials in order to be effective. He says it shows he can build coalitions to support his ideas.

Editor’s note: This story was corrected from an earlier version. We mistakenly reported that de Blasio didn’t know who the other District 11 candidates were. In fact, de Blasio said he was aware of the candidates, but had not met with them.