Brad Lander stood on a Carroll Gardens street corner recently, handing out campaign literature with abandon, and aiding him in greeting pedestrians hurrying to work was State Senator Daniel Squadron.

Squadron is one of many elected officials who have endorsed Lander’s bid for the 39th Council District seat, which is being vacated by outgoing Councilman Bill de Blasio, who is running for public advocate.

The list also includes Congressman Jerold Nadler, State Senator Diane Savino, and Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries, among others.

Even Howard Dean - the former governor of Vermont, chairman of the Democratic National Committee and a presidential candidate - has thrown his support behind Lander.

Yet for all the backing, Lander, widely considered a frontrunner for the seat since he started campaigning in late 2007, has run into stiff competition.

Though polls for City Council primaries do not exist, all accounts show that Josh Skaller has emerged as a serious contender in a crowded field that includes several other talented community activists.

Lander said that’s exactly the way it should be.

“I don’t know what more you could want of a Democratic process,” Lander told the Star in an interview where he acknowledged he is running neck-and-neck with Skaller with one month left before the September 15th Democratic primary.

He said in many ways campaigning for so long has in fact been very helpful.

Speaking with residents across the district, which runs from Carroll Gardens south to Borough Park, has helped define his legislative priorities, said Lander, who has a long history of civic involvement in Brooklyn.

He is the former director of the Pratt Center for Community Development and executive director of the Fifth Avenue Committee, and currently chairs the Housing Committee for Community Board 6.

Though he is best known for his work on affordable housing, Lander said his experience with a variety of other issues separates him from his opponents.

“I have a 20-year track record of helping make things happen in the neighborhood that people feel good about,” said Lander.

His City Council plans are nothing if not ambitious, though they are outlined with rare detail on his campaign website.

Lander, who is a past appointee to several housing reform task forces, supports the Carroll Gardens rezone, and other efforts to protect neighborhoods from overdevelopment.

He said there exists an “overwhelming groundswell of support” among residents for the creation of more affordable housing, something he would push developers to pursue.

Lander said he would also tackle the city’s growing problem of half-finished residential buildings stalled mid-construction by the economy.

He plans to change a current city provision allowing developers to maintain construction permits indefinitely for vacant, uncompleted construction sites - like the one on Caton Place in Kensington - which has drawn angry criticism from neighbors.

On education, Lander, who has two children in public school in the district, said the state’s recently passed mayoral control legislation still does not include enough room for community input.

“I wanted to see a version of mayoral control that had more checks and balances,” said Lander, who believes in small class sizes and more individual attention for students from teachers.

He supports a Superfund designation for the Gowanus Canal; the Environmental Protection Agency has the “right tools” for a comprehensive cleanup, Lander said.

“I’m thrilled that they finally decided to get involved.” he added.

Though the district is fairly diverse, Lander said in speaking with residents in neighborhoods like Kensington, Park Slope, and Cobble Hill, he has learned they generally agree on important issues, and expect the same level of commitment from their elected officials.

“People expect the council member to show up, listen and address their concerns, from parking to affordable housing,” said Lander.

He said he if elected he looks forward to working with residents in the more conservative communities of Kensington and Borough Park, a section of the district which often receives less attention than its upper brownstone belt.

He rejected critics who have claimed he is using a more conservative message in the southern par of the district on issues like gay marriage to court voters.

Lander admitted there is a “difference between campaigning and governing,” but said his message is consistent across the district.

“In a campaign, I think sometimes candidates with less of a record to run on look to make other kinds of distinctions,” Lander added.