The New York Observer » 2009 Public Advocate Election

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

Green Hits de Blasio With the Manila Folder

The manila folder attacks again!

A reader passes along a flier that's being circulated criticizing Bill de Blasio, who is in a run-off for public advocate against Mark Green.

It’s the same design as another flier that went around Jackson Heights recently, where incumbent City Councilwoman Helen Sears implied that her opponent, Danny 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

De Blasio Gets More W.F.P. Support, Sees Term Limits as a Topic With Voters

Bill de Blasio was endorsed by the five City Council candidates who won their Democratic primaries with strong help from the Working Families Party.

The run-off for Democratic public advocate nomination next week is expected to be low, giving him that much more of an organizational advantage over Mark Green, in theory.

De Blasio, and Read More

De Blasio Sides with Obama, Criticizes Green’s Absence

The public advocate debate last night focused a lot more on politics than on policies, which Julie Bosman noted. After the debate, I asked Bill de Blasio what he thought of the White House involvement in the governor’s race.

De Blasio worked with Andrew Cuomo, who benefited politically from the maneuver, and has 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

Siegel Not Jumping On ‘Green Team,’ Or Any Team, For Now

As he reveled in a second place finish in the race for public advocate that will put him in a run off against Councilman Bill de Blasio, Mark Green urged supporters of candidates who didn't make the cut to join "the Green team."

Norman Siegel didn't seem too excited at the idea, and sounded 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

Gioia Waits

I emailed two aides to Eric Gioia this morning to ask who he was supporting in the run-off.

Only one replied, expressed disbelief that the question was being asked so soon, and said Gioia “today he's taking some time to spend with his new daughter.”

Boom Times for de Blasio and the Working Families Party

The biggest winner in last night’s primary was the Working Families Party, whose candidates lead the pack in the public advocate and comptroller races, while nearly their entire slate of City Council candidates was swept into office.

The leaders of the Working Families Party converged at the Water Street Restaurant & Lounge in Dumbo, site Read More

Gioia Hits de Blasio on the W.F.P.

Here’s Eric Gioia’s letter to Bill de Blasio, which was sent today, asking him to stop using the Working Families Party's field operation until he disclosed more information about them.

“Claiming that you have not yet been found in violation of the law is not good enough,” Gioia said, referring to the explanation de Read More

Everyone Goes After de Blasio

It's usually the case that everyone attacks the front-runner. But in last night’s public advocate debate – the last televised one before the primary – it was Bill de Blasio who got the incoming fire from the rest of the candidates.

It’s a validation that de Blasio is the most likely to get into the Read More

De Blasio Goes After Green’s Money

Here's another mailer from Bill de Blasio, hitting Mark Green for raising money from developers for his previous races.

De Blasio raised the issue during their prior debate, and this is coming out (into my hands) hours before their next debate later tonight.

It's Read More

De Blasio and Gioia Inching Toward Green

Mark Green is hovering just shy of the 40 percent he needs to avoid a run-off, according to the latest USA Survey poll of likely voters, conducted from August 28 to September 1.

Bill de Blasio gained 4 points, and is now at 23 percent. Eric Gioia, who overtook Norman Siegel, gained 3 points Read More

De Blasio Defends, Gets More Exposure For, Family Mailers

Bill de Blasio defended his campaign mailings featuring his wife, who is African-American, that Charles Barron said are exploitative and pandering to black voters.

“We have sent the mailings with my family to every part of the city, every community and I’m very proud of my family,” he told reporters outside City Hall this Read More