The New York Observer » 2009 Comptroller Election

Yassky Prepares for the ‘Next Chapter’

At 9 p.m. last night, just as the polls were closing and the city’s weary poll workers roused from their slumber to head back home, someone popped out of the BLVD club on Bowery and hung a David Yassky for Comptroller sign on the door.

BLVD was the sight of Yassky’s would-be victory party, but Read More

Run-Off Predictions: A Big Night for the W.F.P.

The polls for the run-offs are now closed.

Earlier, a few readers offered their predictions. Most expect Bill de Blasio and John Liu to win, on an expected turnout of fewer than 200,000, with Working Families Party organizational support overwhelming endorsements and earned-media buzz (such as it is).

As Ben Smith noted, race and identity played Read More

Liu and De Blasio Pitch to Bed-Stuy

John Liu and Bill de Blasio greeted each other with a warm embrace at a Sept. 25 event in Bedford-Stuyvesant.

Despite the fact that each of them heads into Tuesday’s runoff elections for comptroller and public advocate with a massive, labor-fueled organizational advantage, they both drew heavily on the underdog tag during their Read More

Comptroller Candidates Spin: Lies, Term Limits, Tier 5

The comptroller debate between John Liu and David Yassky was more confrontational than in the past, with the main issues being who tells the truth and who flip-flopped on term limits.

Each said he was “sad” that his opponent wasn’t talking about the issues.

Speaking to reporters after the debate, Yassky said his decision to Read More

Liu Recalls Yassky’s Term-Limits Vote, and Also That Failed Congressional Run

Observer intern Kate McGee gets John Liu's response to David Yassky's ad, which the campaign is calling "negative" and "desperate."

“He pledged to fight the extension of Term Limits before voting to overturn a referendum that New Yorkers upheld twice,” said a spokesman for Liu, Juanita Scarlett.

“And, let's not forget that he moved Read More

Yassky Calls Liu a Liar

David Yassky is out with an ad pushing his argument that John Liu is dishonest. He raises three main points and cites Daily News articles for verification.

The issues raised are about Liu returning contributions, discovering fraud at the M.T.A. and claims to have worked in a sweatshop.

Liu addressed each claim at Read More

Run-Off Poll: Close

A new poll out today from Quinnipiac University says the two run-off elections for comptroller and public advocate are pretty close, if not in a dead heat. Which, coupled with an expected tiny turnout, means Get Out the Vote will be particularly important.

This year, that's a very good thing for the candidates Read More

Yassky Pledges to Build a Case Against Liu on Policy

Melinda Katz endorsed David Yassky for comptroller on the City Hall steps this morning, saying he "has the honesty and integrity to watch the city taxpayer dollars."Katz, who is from Queens, said the endorsement was not a dig at Yassky's opponent, John Liu, of Queens, whose claims to have worked in a sweatshop as a Read More

Reverse Drop-Off?

A reader pointed out to me last night that more people voted in the public advocate and comptroller primary races than in the mayoral primary.

Granted, the public advocate and comptroller races were competitive and garnered more attention. But it’s funny to think of primary voters showing up at the polls and actually not voting Read More

Comptroller Candidates Justify Comptroller’s Office

Kate McGee pulls a couple of quotes from Brian Lehrer's interview with the comptroller candidates in which he asked them what the point of the office is.

John Liu: “This is the chief financial officer in the city. Not CFO in the traditional sense that works very closely with the CEO.But someone who Read More

Yassky’s Schumer Ad

Here's a new ad in which Chuck Schumer endorses his former aide, City Councilman David Yassky, for comptroller.

The ad is consistent Yassky's strategy of staying positive and reminding everyone of his support from trusted liberal brands (Schumer and The New York Times), and ignoring any mud being thrown at him.

A City Comptroller’s Race About the Death Penalty

Here's the David Weprin mailer that Maggie Haberman wrote about today, which paints two rivals, David Yassky and Melinda Katz, as having supported the death penalty at one point.

In a Democratic primary, that's an unpopular position to be associated with.

Katz voted Read More

Weprin’s Game Show Ad Hits Opponents, By Name

David Weprin is out with a new radio ad blasting each of his Democratic opponents, by name. It’s in the style of an overly enthusiastic game show announcer.

The hits are pretty direct: David Yassky caved in on term limits and has ties to a non-profit which was criticized for benefiting a former Read More

Money Is Not for Throwing Away

Here’s David Weprin’s mailer. On the inside, it says “Anybody can SAY they’ll cut the waste…only DEMOCRAT DAVID WEPRIN has the experience to get it done.”

This may be an effort to steal some wind from David Yassky, who has been the most consistent among the comptroller candidates in campaigning on the idea of cutting waste Read More

‘Garment Factory’

Here’s John Liu at the debate last night, saying he and his mother worked in a “garment factory.”

His campaign ads – one of which I saw this morning – use the word “sweatshop,” a formulation that has come under some criticism.