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Bloomberg wins, but Thompson surprises with close finish
Mayor Michael Bloomberg was re-elected to a third term last night with a stunningly slim margin, just edging out city Comptroller Bill Thompson by five percentage points.
Bloomberg, 67, a billionaire businessman who spent at least $85 million of his own money to win a third term, had been ahead in most polls by double digits but in the end, he managed only a 51 to 46 percent victory.
Bloomberg during his victory speech just after midnight argued that the tough economy and a general anti-incumbent sentiment made for a “hard-fought victory in a very difficult year.”
“Tonight, throughout the nation, voters were very clear and some incumbents heard loud and clear that they’re tired of politics as usual,” he said. “New Yorkers have defied tonight’s trend.”
However, many political observers were caught off guard by how close the mayoral race was.
“[The Bloomberg campaign] should be embarrassed,” said Democratic political consultant Joe Mercurio. “If the Democratic Party had run a better campaign they could have blown him out.”
Thompson, who released a poll over the weekend indicating that the race was tightening, built his campaign around the anger voters felt over Bloomberg’s extension of term limits. The limits were approved twice by referendum.
“Your support, your enthusiasm, and your desire for change is what carried me to this point,” Thompson told his supporters last night. “This campaign was about not backing down in the face of a formidable challenge,” said Thompson in an address that carried the whiff of a victory speech.
The race turned especially negative in the final days, with Bloomberg flooding the airwaves with attacks on Thompson, which some speculated might have been an indication that the campaign was getting nervous.
Bloomberg, who became the fourth mayor to win three terms, has won plaudits for dropping crime rates and deft management of the city’s finances during his first eight years, despite recent fiscal troubles.
He won control of the schools early in his first term and made education reform one of his signature issues.
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Bloomberg, Thompson square off on taxes, schools
In their final debate before next week’s election, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and city Comptroller Bill Thompson tussled over taxes, education and the new Yankee Stadium Tuesday night night.
Neither man landed a knock-out punch, though there were several barbed exchanges: Thompson twice accused Bloomberg of lying, while the mayor insisted his opponent would raise taxes.
Both argued over whether the city was affordable to the middle class, with Thompson suggesting the billionaire mayor cannot relate to the average New Yorker.
“Everybody realizes that the mayor is out of touch with the people he represents,” Thompson said.
Bloomberg, in turn, said most people he meets on the subway and on the streets do not view him that way.
“It’s very easy to say, ‘I feel your pain,’” Bloomberg said. “That’s not what we need. We need people who are actually going to do something to make this city better.”
The pressure was on Thompson — who trails Bloomberg by 16 points in a recent poll — to leave a lasting impression on the electorate, whose interest in the race has been spotty.
The questions focused largely on the economy and education, with only one brief exchange over Bloomberg’s push to extend term limits, which Thompson vehemently opposed.
The most testy exchanges came when Thompson accused Bloomberg of “cooking the books” at the Department of Education and compared his stewardship of the schools to Enron.
Bloomberg said Thompson would implement “job-killing taxes” and assailed his tenure as president of the Board of Education.
One question, asked by a New Yorker interviewed by a reporter for ABC, which hosted the debate, concerned the taxpayer-financed bonds used for the construction of the new Yankee Stadium, where the World Series begins Wednesday.
Bloomberg called it a wise investment that would yield more parkland for neighborhood residents, while Thompson lambasted the deal as a “giveaway.”
In one of the more unusual moments of the night, each man was asked to give the other a grade. Thompson, laughing awkwardly, said he would “be kind” and give the mayor a D-.
Bloomberg declined to give a grade but offered his opponent a rare compliment.
“I think Bill has actually been a reasonably good comptroller,” he said. “It has been a pleasure working with him.”Tags: Mayor Bloomberg, Michael Bloomberg, Bill Thompson, Comptroller, term limits
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Thompson's response on gay rights riles activists
Mayor Michael Bloomberg and challenger Bill Thompson faceoff on Tuesday. (Photo: AP)
A lightning-round question during Tuesday night’s face-off between Mayor Michael Bloomberg and challenger Bill Thompson has ignited a stormy debate among gay rights activists.
Asked whether they believe President Barack Obama has done enough for gay rights, Bloomberg answered “no.” Thompson, the city comptroller and Democratic mayoral candidate, hesitated, sighed that Obama had only been in office for "nine months" and answered “yes.”
Some pundits argued that Thompson was trying to adhere to party lines, but Log Cabin Republicans spokesman Gregory Angelo on Wednesday asked, “Why all of the sudden is Thompson so beholden to a president who won’t mention him by name?”Angelo, whose group represents gay Republicans and has endorsed Bloomberg for mayor, called Thompson’s response “truly offensive.”
Despite promises to repeal the military’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy and the federal Defense of Marriage Act, the president hasn’t delivered, Angelo said.
The debate came fresh on the heels of a massive weekend march that brought tens of thousands to Washington, D.C., in support of gay rights.
The format of the question itself was disappointing, said Alan Van Capelle, executive director of the Empire State Pride Agenda. “A question of civil rights surely is more important than a yes or no question.”
The Stonewall Democrats, a liberal LGBT group that gave Thompson the nod for mayor, could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
Tags: Mayoral race, New York City, Bill Thompson, Michael Bloomberg, gay rights
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Largest city union backs Thompson for mayor
The city’s largest municipal employees union endorsed Comptroller Bill Thompson for mayor Thursday, a reversal from four years ago, when it backed Mayor Michael Bloomberg for re-election.
“He is not only an ally in our struggle to protect our members but a champion of millions of hard-working New Yorkers we serve,” said Lillian Roberts, head of the union, District Council 37, which represents about 125,000 city employees.
Though Thompson, who is seeking the Democratic nomination, would seem a natural fit for a labor union, Bloomberg sought the DC 37 endorsement, which he won four years ago when he ran against another Democrat, former Bronx Borough President Fernando Ferrer.
But the union, which received 4 percent raises in its most recent contract, has turned against Bloomberg, slamming his administration in a public ad campaign for its use of outside contractors. The mayor also vetoed legislation – later overridden by the City Council – allowing members to live outside the city.
“It’s time that we make hard-working men and women a priority again,” Thompson said. “I look forward to having DC 37’s continued support over the coming months as we work to bring new leadership to City Hall.”
The Bloomberg campaign called on Thompson to release a questionnaire both men filled out for the union (Bloomberg released his) and issued a statement asking “what promises Mr. Thompson made them and how much his promises will cost taxpayers.”
Thompson said he would not release the questionnaire, which covers a range of topics, from mayoral control of the schools to the creation of a new pension tier for city workers.Tags: mayoral election, Bill Thompson, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, DC 37, labor
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Fighting uphill battle, Bill Thompson tries to make his case
It may not quite be David vs. Goliath, but it’s close.
Presumed Democratic mayoral nominee Bill Thompson is facing a financial juggernaut and popular incumbent whose ubiquitous TV ads and glossy brochures have been blanketing the city for months.
Contrast that with Thompson, who, according to a recent poll, is virtually unknown to 72 percent of New Yorkers.
Such a number looks daunting for a man who’s spent much of his adult life in public office, including the last eight years in a citywide post, comptroller in a heavily Democratic city.“He’s had an inability to define himself,” said Democratic political consultant, Evan Stavisky. “It is going to be extremely difficult for Bill Thompson to get any traction.”
It is this conventional wisdom – that Mayor Michael Bloomberg, with his $16 billion fortune and 60 percent approval ratings, is virtually unbeatable – that Thompson seeks to dispel.
“The first thing is getting past this feeling of inevitability,” Thompson said in an exclusive interview this week. “Yes, he can be beat.”
The Bloomberg camp declined comment, but political experts inside and outside the campaign say Thompson must do three things between now and Election Day: introduce himself to voters, make the case against Bloomberg, and time his move right.
Making himself known to voters
Thompson is limited to $6 million in spending before the September primary, when he faces token opposition in Councilman Tony Avella from Bayside.
With no TV ads, Thompson is relying mostly on press coverage, leafleting and grass roots organizing. His appearances have increased in recent months, speaking out on high-profile issues such as mayoral control of the schools, the MTA bailout and the current leadership battle in the state senate.
“It’s going to be tough but he has to push through,” said potential voter, Aziz Jackson, 40, of Harlem. “He has to put himself out there.
Case against Bloomberg
Thompson has been quick pitting himself against Bloomberg, denouncing the mayor on everything from his opposition to raising income taxes on the wealthy to his support of work requirements for certain food stamp recipients.
Thompson has also made water rate hikes a pet cause, last week calling for the re-organization of the water board.
“If somehow or another Thompson can tangle Bloomberg up in that (populist) rage he may have an opening,” said David Birdsell, dean of Baruch College. “The risk on that is it’s essentially a negative play.”
It’s about timing
Most voters don’t pay attention until after Labor Day. Once the general election begins, Thompson will have no spending limit because Bloomberg has opted out of the public financing system and may drop $80 million on the campaign.
“Our strategy . . . has been don’t spend a lot of money now,” said Eddy Castell, Thompson’s campaign manager, who added that TV advertising will come in the fall. “Come September, the lights will come on.”
Shayndi Raice contributed to this story.
Tags: bill thompson, mayoral election, politics, city hall dispatch
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Mayoral race: It doesn't cost millions to advertise on YouTube
YouTube was an important tool in last year’s presidential campaign. Nationally televised debates fielded questions from voters asked via YouTube videos. Tech savvy candidates posted videos and messages. (OK, maybe they had their tech savvy people do it for them, but you get the point.)
This year’s mayoral election is arguably the first of the YouTube era. While technically YouTube was around when Michael Bloomberg won his second term in 2005, the video Web site was in its infancy then.
Today, YouTube is a full-fledged cultural phenomenon, and some candidates are taking full advantage of the low-cost way of reaching potential voters.
Here are some videos from this year’s hopefuls. (In case you’re wondering, there are no videos from U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner because he is still deciding whether he’ll run.)
Newark Mayor Cory Booker endorses Michael Bloomberg, the independent running on the Republican ticket. Then our mayor promptly thanks Booker by declaring, “We have the most wonderful city in the world!”
Throughout his term as city comptroller, Bill Thompson has been perhaps New York’s most You Tube-friendly pol. In this video, his campain stumps some New Yorkers by asking what positive things Bloomberg has done as mayor. City Councilman Tony Avella is running for mayor because he’s “mad as hell.” But he hasn’t posted a new campaign video since this welcome message for his Web site in February 2008.
Green Party candidate/performance artist/community activist Reverend Billy Talen unveils his remake of “New York, New York,” in which he and supporters sing, “Start spreading the wealth. I’m hoping to stay.”
Tags: youtube, mayoral election, michael bloomberg, tony avella, reverend billy talen, bill thompson, politics
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Bloomberg, Thompson, mayoral hopefuls seek thrifty image in costly election
Incumbent Mayor Michael Bloomberg appears in new campaign ads without his usual suit.
In a time of economic uncertainty, mayoral candidates this year face a new hurdle: earning votes without burning cash.
“It might make sense to appear a little less slick,” said political consultant Jerry Skurnik, of Prime New York. “There might be backlash if a campaign seems to be spending too much.”
New Yorkers are more cautious than ever with their money, and those politicians hoping to lead them out the recession must appear similarly savvy, experts said. Competitive campaigning, however, is no thrifty feat.
“You spend money on ads because the more money you spend, usually, the more effective the ads are,” Skurnik said about striking a balance. “You don’t want to spend so little that it looks amateurish and no one will pay attention to it.”Billionaire in the game
Incumbent Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a billionaire campaigning mostly on his own dime, is an unwitting exception to the rules, experts said. “Everyone knows how wealthy he is, so if he tried to act like, ‘I’m trying to watch my dollar,’ no one would buy that,” Skurnik said.
Bloomberg earlier this month rolled out his first TV spots, a $3 million effort in both English and Spanish focused on jobs. With the election still eight months away, opponents argued it was too soon and too extravagant.
The campaign countered that modesty in tone – not spending – is key to earning votes.
“We have significant resources and the way we’re going to spend that money doesn’t change because we’re going to run a very, very aggressive campaign,” said Bloomberg campaign manager Bradley Tusk. “What changes is the look and the feel of what we’re doing.”
In his new ads, the mayor forgoes his usual suit-and-tie look and is seen chatting with everyday voters. His first wave of mailings includes notes handwritten by supporters. The Bloomberg campaign is also going door-to-door to share its plan to revive the economy, Tusk said.
But while Bloomberg has dialed down the glitz in his quest for a third term, opponent Bill Thompson’s campaign insists it is more humble at heart.
City Comptroller Bill Thompson is running for mayor as a Democrat.
Working with less
“He’ll [Bloomberg] be spending billions of dollars to buy votes, and we’ll be working twice as hard to earn them,” said Eduardo Castell, campaign manager for Thompson, the city comptroller and a Democratic candidate.
Bloomberg, worth $16 billion and running on the Republican line, is a contrast to Thompson, “a neighborhood guy who understands working class people’s needs,” Castell said. Thompson campaign had raised $5 million as of Thursday, Castell said.
“I’d be hard-pressed to criticize Bill Thompson if he broke the [spending] limit because he’s facing a high-spending opponent,” admitted Gene Russianoff, a senior lawyer for NYPIRG, which ordinarily discourages excessive campaign spending.
Two other mayoral candidates likely won’t have that option as a luxury.
“I’m just getting along with the small $10, $20, $50 donations from New Yorkers,” said Councilman Tony Avella, a Democratic candidate for mayor.
The Rev. Billy Talen, the Green Party candidate, concurred that both he and Avella were the true grassroots contenders but conceded Bloomberg’s cash wouldn’t necessarily turn off voters.
Former Mayor Ed Koch agreed that spending may be moot in the end: “What candidates say about their vision for New York and their vision of how to increase jobs is paramount.”
Tags: mayor michael bloomberg, bill thompson, tony avella, the rev. billy talen, mayoral race, politics, new york, city hall
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Economy could sink subway, bus ridership
The economy might bring down transit ridership in 2009 even though the number of subway and bus riders hit 40-year record highs this year.
An MTA official indicated yesterday that rising unemployment rates could affect ridership since fewer people will be commuting to work.
Next year’s MTA budget, first proposed in July, based ridership projections on better employment forecasts, said MTA Chief Financial Officer Gary Dellaverson.Transit ridership is at a 40-year high, continuing a steady increase since 1996. However, this month City Comptroller Bill Thompson predicted more than 150,000 job losses in the next two years, which could affect the number of people taking trains and buses or being able to afford fares.
An MTA spokesman, however, said that it is unclear if the number of straphangers will decrease.
“There will be some reduction in the pace of growth, not necessarily a drop in ridership,” MTA spokesman Jeremy Soffin said.
Details on ridership projections will be discussed at a special finance meeting next month that will discuss changes in overall estimates in next year’s budget.
Tags: economy, subway, bill thompson, mta, transit
