Queens B.P. Says Bloomberg Should Have Tried for Democratic Line: 'Would Have Been Close'

Queens Borough President Helen Marshall said she’ll be supporting whoever is the Democratic mayoral candidate, but said she thinks independent Michael Bloomberg “should have tried to go for the Democratic designation too.”

Marshall was speaking to me at an event in Sunnyside where Bloomberg was addressing a local chamber of commerce last night.

Asked if she’d support Bloomberg for re-election, Marshall said, “I’m a Democrat. I can’t change that. It’s in my blood, OK? And so he will be among those running.”

She then described the field as she sees it: “Right now, we got three of them running: him, Thompson and also Tony Avella. Well, Tony Avella is—"she brushed her hand away and made a dismissive noise, “OK.”

Marshall continued. “Whoever the Democrats appoint, is the person I’ll support. He [Bloomberg] should have tried to go for the Democratic designation too. He should have,” she said. “I think it would have been close. I think he would have had a good shot.”

At a fund-raiser for Peter Vallone Jr. last weekend, Marshall greeted Bloomberg warmly, and said, “It's a pleasure to welcome the mayor back to our borough. He won this borough before and he will again.”

Last night, when I asked her about that comment, Marshall clarified herself, and said, “Well, maybe he’ll win it again. Maybe he’ll win it again.”

She did not seem bothered by the notion.