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.
At our Forum last Thursday, Bill Thompson presented a clear, progressive message. He believes city government must first and always put the middle class and working families above the real estate developers and corporate interests that have dominated New York City for too long.
The vote tonight by the New York City Coordinating Council matches the overwhelming sentiment of WFP supporters who watched our Mayoral Forum, in person and online, and graded Bill Thompson the clear winner.
Addressing his profligate campaign spending, Mayor Bloomberg told the crowd last Thursday: “rich people don’t always win.”
The Working Families Party wants to help prove him right by helping Bill Thompson become the next Mayor of New York.
Thompson issued his own statement, “I thank the members of the Working Families Party for their support and I am proud to be on the WFP line. Tonight sends a clear message - I am the candidate for our City’s hard-working men and women. I will carry the momentum from the endorsement with me as I kick off my tour of the five boroughs this weekend. With the support of the WFP, an organization that embodies true progressive values, we will bring new leadership to City Hall.”
The Post says Thompson's "floundering mayoral campaign...got a boost last night with the" endorsement and that this is "one of Bloomberg's few political losses this year." Bloomberg's re-election team was really hoping to get the nod. Earlier this week, a Marist poll found that 51% of respondents think there should be a new mayor, but 73% think Bloomberg will win anyway.
