Results tagged “mayoralrace”

It's Election Day and polls in NYC have been open since 6 a.m. and will close at 9 p.m. You can find your polling site here.

Tomorrow is Election Day—make sure you know where to vote and if you still need help with your choices, Gotham Gazette's Guide For The Last Minute Voter is a good resource—and the big election is the mayoral race between Mayor Michael Bloomberg and City Comptroller William Thompson. Both candidates crammed their weekend full of campaign stops, phone calls, ads, etc., because turnout is the wild card.

Yesterday, mayoral candidates Mayor Michael Bloomberg and City Comptroller Bill Thompson campaigned with just days away until the election. And they made sure to encourage voters to get out the vote: NY1 reports that Bloomberg went to a "get out of the vote" rally in Queens while Thompson said, "This is all about turnout and really a question of who comes out and votes. So I think he's concerned, not just because his votes may stay home, I think he's concerned about the change that people in New York City are indicating all across the city. They'd like to see a new mayor, they'd like to see change in City Hall."

A new Marist poll showed that incumbent Mayor Michael Bloomberg leads challenger City Comptroller William Thompson by 15 points among likely voters, 53% to 38%. What's more, the poll notes, "Mayor Bloomberg’s action to extend term limits from two to three terms is not a deciding factor for 45% of voters. Although a large proportion of voters — 43% — says it makes them less likely to vote for the mayor, this number has not grown through the course of the campaign."

Last night, after an 11 minute takedown of Fox News, The Daily Show set its sights on our own mayoral race. Term limits turnaround? Check. President Obama's, uh, endorsement of Thompson? Check. And, yes, they did totally put Mayor Bloomberg next to a graphic of Richie Rich—and Jon Stewart did say they were the same height.

Last night, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and City Comptroller William Thompson squared off for their second and final mayoral debate. And it was a feisty affair, with just a week till the election: The Post called it a "Yankees basebrawl", the Daily News noted how they "pulled out all the stops", and the NY Times noted how Bloomberg "pound[ed]" Thompson. Some highlighted soundbites:

Tonight will be the second and final debate between mayoral candidates Mayor Michael Bloomberg and City Comptroller William Thompson. The first debate saw both men in attack mode, with no clear winner. CityRoom says Thompson, "Far behind in the polls, and running out of time...must deliver the political equivalent of an Oscar-performance Tuesday night." The debate will air on WABC 7 at 7 p.m.

Earlier today, City Council Speaker Christine endorsed Comptroller Bill Thompson for mayor, saying, "I think one of my important points about term limits was that it was important for people to have choice and option. I believe Bill Thompson’s been a good comptroller. I think he would be a good mayor and I think it’s very important that the Democrats are united.” Quinn is, of course, close with Mayor Bloomberg and CityRoom reports that Quinn's endorsement was delayed " as payback for Ms. Quinn’s failure to support Mr. Thompson over the last year," even after he clinched the nomination.

A new Quinnipiac poll shows that Mayor Bloomberg is leading the mayoral race, with 53% of likely voters picking him, while challenger Comptroller Bill Thompson gets 35% of likely voters. PolitickerNY reports, "A two-term incumbent just barely over 50 percent would normally have lots to worry about, if he were being challenged by someone who had convinced the public there was an electable alternative. Thompson, unable to crack 40 percent in public opinion polls, does not seem to have made that case effectively." Now the word "blowout" is being mentioned.

After campaign records showed that Mayor Bloomberg had spent $85 million (through Friday) on his third term mayoral bid, people were amazed—it was, according to the NY TImes, the most anyone had personally spent on any sort of U.S. public office—and disgusted. But the Mayor defended the amount, saying yesterday at an event in Queens, "It costs a lot of money to get a message out and I'm trying to show what we've done and tell people."

By spending $85 million on his third mayoral campaign so far, Mayor Bloomberg entered the history books. The NY Times proclaims, "He has now spent more of his own money than any other individual in United States history in the pursuit of public office," and say the billionaire "is on pace to spend between $110 million and $140 million before the election on Nov. 3."

The NY Times' article on mayoral challenger Comptroller Bill Thompon's campaign suggests that it's not the shipshape operation that the Bloomberg campaign runs. (Of course, Bloomberg is throwing tens of millions into his effort.) Amid the different examples, it's noted Thompson's political director Tweeted, "Mommy, can I stay home from school today?" and the policy director Facebooked, "Why is it that I continue to do this work?" (the policy director later quit; he tells the Times, "to suggest that such a generic gripe speaks to some deeper issue is simply silly").

The latest Marist poll reveals that Mayor Bloomberg has opened up his lead against challenger City Comptroller Bill Thompson to 16 points amongst likely voters, with the incumbent receiving 52% to Thompson's 36%. Marist notes, "Last month, Bloomberg led Thompson among this group of voters by 9 percentage points — 52% to 43%, respectively. Although Bloomberg’s support is unchanged, Thompson has lost ground."

President Barack Obama did in fact mention Democratic candidate for mayor, City Comptroller Bill Thompson, during last night's Democratic fundraiser: "Our great city comptroller, our candidate for mayor, my friend Billy Thompson is in the house." And that was it. Even Thompson himself, when asked if he thought it was an endorsement, said, "No. Do you consider that an endorsement?" (See for yourself—video is below.)

After accusations that former Mayor Rudy Giuliani was race-baiting while touting Mayor Bloomberg for re-election , the incumbent candidate tried to address the issue. Bloomberg said, "I am phenomenally proud of our record of bringing people together from all neighborhoods and every community. And I think we’ve successfully resisted attempts to divide the city... For the past eight years, I’ve worked well with virtually everyone. I don’t point fingers. I try to lower the volume, the temperature, and not raise it. I’m not going to try to raise it now."

In Borough Park yesterday, it was Giuliani Time! Former mayor Rudy Giuliani campaigned on behalf of Mayor Bloomberg and struck an ominous note at the Jewish Community Council breakfast, "I worry daily that the city might be turned back to the way it was, to the way it was before 1993. And you know exactly what I’m talking about."

Yesterday, the city's largest Spanish newspaper, El Diario, endorsed City Comptroller Bill Thompson for Mayor. In its front page editorial, it says, "After a decade misspent lionizing the rich and their excesses, too many New Yorkers are paying the price for the decisions made in Washington, on Wall Street and in City Hall. What New York City needs is an executive with a balanced perspective towards development and growth, where families most in need are a high priority. This leader is Bill Thompson."

Last night's first mayoral debate between incumbent Mayor Michael Bloomberg and City Comptroller William Thompson showed both men in attack mode: Bloomberg went after Thompson's record heading the Board of Education and accepting donations from pension funds that the city uses while Thompson reminded voters how Bloomberg maneuvered for the term limits and extension and how he's spent $65 million on his campaign so far. You can watch the debate at NY1, but here are some highlights:

With just under 4 weeks to go before the mayoral election, Mayor Bloomberg and City Comptroller William Thompson will march in the Fifth Avenue Columbus Day parade today. And tomorrow is their first debate—some veterans have suggestions (Mark Green to Thompson: ""Don't try for a knockout, because it can't happen"). Thompson skipped two parades yesterday (Bloomberg was at the Bronx Columbus Day Parade and the Hispanic Day Parade in Manhattan), apparently to prepare for the debate.

Yesterday, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs confirmed that President Obama would "support the Democratic nominee" in the NYC mayoral race—which would be City Comptroller Bill Thompson. But Gibbs never mentioned Thompson by name and actually praised Mayor Bloomberg by name, adding that Obama "obviously has a tremendous amount of respect for what he's done as well." Which is why the media's take on Obama's "endorsement" ranges from "most lukewarm and indirect" (the Times) and "as muted as they come" (Daily News) to "odd little bit of political theater" (Post) and "lukewarm" (Reuters) again.

The wondering can stop: President Obama has endorsed City Comptroller Bill Thompson in the NYC mayoral race. Although he didn't make the endorsement himself—press secretary Robert Gibbs announced it. According to the Daily Politics, Gibbs said, "The president is the leader of the Democratic Party and, as that, would support the Democratic nominee."

Whoa: The Naked Cowboy, the barely-clad Times Square attraction, is no longer running for mayor—Mayor Bloomberg, City Comptroller Bill Thompson and City Councilman Tony Avella must be so relieved! The Naked Cowboy, also known as Robert Burck, had announced he was running in July, even staging a press conference and snazzy logo, but told the NY Times yesterday, "I’m absolutely dropping out...What I want to do is stick with what I do best. It’s probably why I look like a naked cowboy, and Mayor Bloomberg looks like a mayor." The Times adds, "The culmination of his struggle was a sharply worded letter he got Thursday from the New York City Conflicts of Interest Board, an agency he said he had never fathomed existed until the letter arrived, notifying him that he had failed to file the financial disclosure form as required," requiring Burck to pay a fine; the New York City Board of Elections also denied him a place on the ballot because of "deficiencies in his paperwork" (he apparently didn't get enough voters' signatures). Burck declared, "Politics is not fun and games. It’s serious stuff, and my mind was a little more dreamy."

District Council 37—the city's largest union which represents municipal workers—threw its support behind City Comptroller William Thompon's mayoral bid yesterday. On why Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who won the endorsement in 2005, lost out, DC 37 executive director Lillian Roberts noted, "He's changed! He's changed!"—the union was also unhappy the mayor directed $9 billion of city work to outside contractors (which the mayor said saved money). And Local 2627 president Robert Ajaye said of Bloomberg, "He's arrogant, too arrogant." Bloomberg's reaction was, "I will not make irresponsible promises to win an endorsement," (he did promise 4% raises in 2005, but times were so different then!). The NY Times, which says it's an "unexpected boost" to Thompson, has analysis: Regarding the DC37 and Working Families Party endorsements of Thompson, "the groups indicated that they had soured on the mayor because of what they felt were an imperfect feel for the city’s working class and his imperious move to rip up the city’s term-limits laws in order to run for another term."

The Daily News and NY Times are reporting that District 37, the city's largest union, will endorse City Comptroller William Thompson for mayor. The News writes that this is a "turnaround from four years ago that gives fresh momentum to Thompson's campaign."

Yesterday, Governor Paterson told reporters, "I haven't announced the person that I think should be mayor," raising some eyebrows. Last month, he told the Daily News editorial board that regarding "Thompson-Bloomberg, I'll probably make some kind of announcement later on. I won't, you know, say anything about that now" (though in March he said, "I am the leader of the Democratic Party in New York State. I would expect that I'll support the winner of [the] Democratic primary"). But at Rep. Charles Rangel's birthday party last night, City Hall News reports that Paterson introduced Thompson, "It says on my program that the first person that we want to introduce is the mayor. Apparently, a psychic must have written tonight’s program, because the first person I’m going to introduce is currently the comptroller of the City of New York, Bill Thompson!... Please greet the mayor, Bill Thompson." Thompson said, "I guess we’re taking that as an endorsement guys." Then again, yesterday, the NY Times had maybe the 10,000th article on how Paterson might be a liability.

A new Quinnipiac poll shows that City Comptroller Bill Thompson, the likely Democratic candidate for mayor, has erased some of the gap between himself and Mayor Bloomberg: PolitickerNY reports, "Thompson trails Bloomberg 47 to 37 among city voters, compared to the 54-to-32 spread in Quinnipiac’s June 16 poll," also noting that Bloomberg was ID'd for the first time as a "Republican and independent." Howard Wolfson, spokesman for Bloomberg's campaign, said, “This shows that when you change the wording of any poll, no matter how good, you get a different result. The fact is NYers know that Mike Bloomberg is an independent who governs in a nonpartisan way, which is why roughly two thirds of New Yorkers consistently approve of his job performance and why he has double digit leads over both of his opponents," while Thompson campaign spokeswoman Carly Lindauer said, "Mike Bloomberg has spent nearly $40 million to see his poll numbers decline. It’s clear that after eight years of a Republican mayor who’s been focused on those at the top, New Yorkers want change in City Hall."

After three mayoral candidates—Mayor Michael Bloomberg, City Comptroller Bill Thompson, and City Councilman Tony Avella—answered questions in a forum last week, the Working Families Party has endorsed Comptroller Thompson for mayor, though apparently the vote was "contentious." Here's the statement from the WFP: "As our city and nation tackle the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, standing on the sidelines is unacceptable. And the idea that Wall Street knows best no longer convinces anyone. As in last November's election for President, it's time for a new direction..."

Mayor Bloomberg (aka "Mike Bloomberg" on Twitter) spent weekend all over the city, as he opened campaign offices for his third term bid. He told the crowd in the Bronx, "Do you remember life without 311? Neither do I. Do you remember when you had to breathe someone else's cigarette smoke? I remember that.... We've got an awful lot of work to do, but if we put New York ahead from partisan politics, if we go out and to explain to everybody, there may not be any easy, painless way, but there is a right way. The right way of hard work, and being accountable and being inclusive, of knowing that we can do it if we can just pull together." So that wooing of the Republican Party...

Here's a little Mayoral Race 2005 action to tie us over: Congressman and mayoral hopeful Anthony Weiner held a protest against the West Side Stadium yesterday, but he was heckled by trade union guys. According to Newsday, the trade unionists were more "amused" than menacing, and called Weiner a "loser." But Gothamist could feel sorry for Weiner, because those union guys could probably take him, it turns out that Weiner heckled back.