David Weprin | The New York Observer

Wearing Red, But Not Making a Statement

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:31:00 -0400

City Councilman Jimmy Vacca, on the right, is wearing red suspenders to raise awareness of proposed budget cuts that might affect firehouses. He said he really doesn’t have to wear them anymore since the money has been restored, for now. City Councilman David Weprin, on the left, is wearing red suspenders, just because. Happy...

Speaking for Weprin, Sheinkopf Attacks Katz, Ignores Liu

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 12:38:00 -0400

Hank Sheinkopf is doing his bit to make a surprisingly lively comptroller's race a little livelier. Here's the response I got from Sheinkopf, who is working for candidate David Weprin, to yesterday’s Quinnipiac poll, which showed Weprin behind the three other Democratic candidates: "The road to city hall has never been paid for by landlords’ money. Landlord candidate Melinda katz, will be found out by the voters." This is not the first time Sheinkopf has made Katz,...

An Unexciting Man for an Unexciting Job

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 06:00:00 -0400

Councilman and city comptroller candidate David Weprin claims he wasn’t offended when his younger brother, Assemblyman Mark Weprin, said at a recent press conference that he wasn’t running as “Mr. Personality.” “I think I’m more exciting than he makes me out to be,” the older Weprin said. “I don’t take it seriously. He’s still a strong supporter.” Weprin, with his Inspector Clouseau moustache and awkward manner, was sitting toward the back of his campaign...

When Comptroller Candidates Attack

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 19:18:00 -0400

Early on the morning of June 16, Melinda Katz, John Liu, David Weprin and David Yassky, the four Democratic candidates hoping to succeed Bill Thompson as city comptroller, gathered in the CUNY Graduate Center in Midtown and attempted to add zest to talk about municipal finance. The forum was the candidates’ first and last chance to debate each other directly, and they wasted no time in setting themselves apart from their fellow candidates and scuffling...

Manhattan Dems Go with Yassky, Duck Public Advocate's Race; Weprin Gets S.I.

Fri, 22 May 2009 11:25:00 -0400

City Comptroller candidate David Yassky won the endorsement of the New York County Democratic Organization last night, while one of his rivals in the race, David Weprin, picked up the endorsement of the Democratic County organization on Staten Island. In Manhattan, Yassky edged out John Liu for the endorsement. The vote was 108 for Yassky, 96 for Liu, 6 for Melinda Katz and 0 for David Weprin, according to Arthur Greig, chairman of the law...

New Campaign Managers: McCall, Fritsch

Thu, 21 May 2009 17:06:00 -0400

Two newly announced campaign managers for City Council races: Assemblyman Mark Weprin, who is running for his brother’s City Council seat in Queens, has hired campaign manager Dirk McCall. McCall is a former president of Stonewall Democrats, and has worked on campaigns for Alan Gerson, Virginia Fields and Karen Bernstein. He’s a fast-talking, always-smiling southerner who has the unenviable commute from his home in Astoria to the Weprin district, which is in Hollis, on the other...

Tilden Club Backs Thompson, Liu, de Blasio, Aborn; Lambda Split on Comptrollers

Tue, 19 May 2009 09:00:00 -0400

After two rounds of voting, the Samuel J. Tilden Democratic Club in Manhattan voted to endorse Bill de Blasio for Public Advocate, according to an attendee there. The results after the second round of voting was 16 for de Blasio and 9 for the second-place finisher, Norman Siegel. In the comptroller’s race, the club voted to endorse John Liu. He got 20 votes, David Yassky got 13, Melinda Katz got 2 and David Weprin got 1. The...

Weprin Gets Donations From Goodman, Gives One to Diaz

Fri, 15 May 2009 14:26:00 -0400

City Councilman and comptroller candidate David Weprin raised $85,780 this filing period, and spent $183,760. New numbers were just posted on the city Campaign Finance Board web site, and I'm going through them now. Weprin has a couple of interesting items. He received four contributions of $2,500 from the campaign committee of Roy Goodman, a retired Republican state senator from Manhattan. One of the more significant expenses for the Weprin campaign was...

Hikind Endorses Weprin for Comptroller, de Blasio for Public Advocate

Mon, 04 May 2009 11:56:00 -0400

Assemblyman Dov Hikind of Brooklyn is not endorsing the only comptroller candidate from his borough, David Yassky, and instead backing David Weprin of Queens. Hikind made the announcement on his weekly radio show Saturday night. In a brief telephone interview this morning, Hikind elaborated. “I know he’s qualified based on his experience, going back to before he was an elected official,” Hikind said, referring to Weprin’s days working in the state's Banking Department under Mario Cuomo....

David Weprin Hires a Comedian

Fri, 01 May 2009 10:58:00 -0400

City comptroller candidate David Weprin is getting public speaking tips and comedic advice from political activist and comedian Randy Credico. “The guy has a great sense of humor,” Credico said in an interview. “He’s a sensitive guy. He’s not just a bean counter, he’s got a big heart.” Weprin’s brother Mark recently said David is not running as “Mr. Personality." Credico added, “It’s a matter of communicating [Weprin’s] sense of humor.” That, Credico said, will help “separate...

Weprin Opens Campaign Office, Rolls Out Lots of Officials

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 11:02:00 -0400

At his campaign office opening this Sunday, City Comptroller candidate David Weprin announced he was endorsed by 20 current and former officials including former Brooklyn Borough President Howard Golden and Assemblywoman Grace Meng of Flushing. Golden joins Fernando Ferrer of the Bronx and David Dinkins of Manhattan as co-chairs of the campaign. The office space was somewhat striking: a big cavernous store front around the corner from the Letterman Show and next door to where Studio...

Broadway Democrats for Yassky

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 09:45:00 -0400

The Broadway Democrats voted last night to endorse David Yassky for City Comptroller. The vote, according to an interested reader, was 22 for Yassky, 12 for John Liu, 6 for Melinda Katz and 1 for David Weprin. In case you’re keeping track of this stuff. UPDATE: Liz has more numbers from the club's vote, including Manhattan DA candidate Richard Aborn getting 84 percent of the vote for his race, and mayoral candidate Billy Thompson getting nearly twice...

Liu Says He'll Run Even If He's Not the Democratic Nominee

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 14:25:00 -0400

I asked City Comptroller candidate John Liu, who was endorsed by the Working Families Party, if he'd run on that party’s line in the general election, even if he loses the four-way Democratic primary. "Yes," was Liu's one-word reply. He was at City Hall just now picking up the endorsement of City Councilman Larry Seabrook of the Bronx. Liu told me that despite some of their differences, like extending term limits (Liu opposed,...

Comptroller Candidates Meet the W.F.P. Tonight

Wed, 22 Apr 2009 15:43:00 -0400

The city comptroller candidates are meeting tonight with the members of the Working Families Party, whose endorsement is one of the most sought-after in Democratic politics. It’s unclear when exactly the W.F.P. will take an endorsement vote. The conventional wisdom is that John Liu has the edge here. He’s making a strong effort to put together a diverse coalition, has been outspoken on transportation issues, and voted against the extension of term limits. Those match up...

Jose Serrano Backs Liu for Comptroller

Wed, 22 Apr 2009 11:22:00 -0400

City Councilman John Liu, a candidate for city comptroller, announced today that he will be endorsed by Representative Jose Serrano of the Bronx. Serrano, in a public statement, praised Liu for having “distinguished himself as a fiscal watchdog” during “his relatively short tenure in the City Council.” The statement goes on to say Serrano is confident that “John will continue to help provide opportunities for communities that are most in need.” Serrano is Latino, which is...

Yassky Gets Two Manhattan Endorsements

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 13:12:00 -0400

City Councilman David Yassky of Brooklyn, a candidate for city comptroller, announced in an email to supporters that he has been endorsed by two lawmakers from Manhattan, Assemblyman Jonathan Bing and City Councilman Dan Garodnick. They’re two of the major cogs in the East Side Democratic power establishment led by Representative Carolyn Maloney. Yassky is the only candidate in the race not from Queens. Conventional wisdom is that Yassky -–a wonky legislator...

Katz Kicks Off Her Campaign, Officially

Thu, 09 Apr 2009 09:57:00 -0400

Melinda Katz just emailed supporters to say she’s formally announcing the kick-off of her city comptroller campaign on Sunday, April 19 in Forest Hills. Katz, in case you haven’t noticed, has been campaigning, raising money and collecting endorsements for at least two years. She’s also been part of relatively aggressive exchanges with her rivals, which is something that usually happens much closer to Election Day. Last month, her aides were strategically placed at John Liu’s campaign...

At Brooklyn Democratic Club, Thompson Ties With Avella, Few Votes for Weiner

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 13:28:00 -0400

Long-shot mayoral candidate and City Councilman Tony Avella got the same number of votes as his not-so-long-shot primary opponent, City Comptroller Bill Thompson, among voting members of a Brooklyn Democratic club last night. The very left-of-center Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats decided to make no endorsement in the mayor’s race until May, according to the club’s president, Lucy Koteen. There were about 40 voting members, she said, and Avella and Thompson split them evenly. It's worth noting that...

Comptroller Candidates Spend More Than They Raise

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 09:27:00 -0400

Several of the Democratic city comptroller candidates are raising less money than they’re spending, according to the latest campaign finance filings. Melinda Katz, a council member from Queens, raised $80,743 and spent $92,512. David Weprin, another council member from Queens, raised $24,660 and spent $97,342. A third Queens council member, John Liu, raised $21,392 and spent $125,851. A filing from the fourth Democrat in the race, City Councilman David Yassky of Brooklyn, was not posted online as of...

Ferrer: I Would Pay Architect 'Finished or Not'

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 14:01:00 -0400

After endorsing David Weprin for city comptroller, Fernando Ferrer was asked about the recently departed former Bronx Borough president Adolfo Carrion, who recently admitted he didn’t pay an architect who worked on his home and sought his approval on local development projects. Ferrer served as borough president from 1987 through 2001, when he was replaced by Carrion. The reason, according to Carrion, is that he hadn't been billed yet because the architect hadn't completed...

Ferrer for Weprin

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 12:13:00 -0400

In a response of sorts to the ethnically diverse coalition John Liu is putting together for his city comptroller campaign, David Weprin's campaign the endorsement of Fernando Ferrer, the former Bronx borough president and nominee for mayor. The endorsement will be unveiled officially on the City Hall steps this afternoon. UPDATE: Ferrer is also going to be a co-chairman of Weprin’s campaign. At the event, Ferrer said Weprin is good on “equity issues” and diversity. UPDATE...

Thompson Not Getting Involved in Race to Replace Him

Mon, 09 Mar 2009 13:00:00 -0400

Minutes after John Liu publicly announced his candidacy for city comptroller on the steps of City Hall, the current comptroller, Bill Thompson, walked over to make his own announcement. Before he did, Thompson was asked about Liu’s candidacy. Thompson smiled, praised Liu for adding to a talented field of candidates, and said, “I’m not going to be doing an endorsement in the comptroller’s race.” Thompson has, however, lent his name to a...

Liu Runs. For Comptroller.

Mon, 09 Mar 2009 12:15:00 -0400

The crowd was large. The signs – blue and green with three stars – were waved. And the message from the candidate, John Liu, was clear. "This is an amazing day, and something I’ve prepared for for a long time," he said at his campaign kick-off yesterday on the steps of City Hall. "This is a day that has occurred in a natural sequence. And it is a job that I truly want." Liu’s entrance to...

Weprin Hires Greenberg

Wed, 04 Mar 2009 10:36:00 -0500

City Comptroller candidate David Weprin has hired one of the Democratic Party’s leading polling firms, Greenberg Quinlan Rosner, according to a campaign source. That’s the firm that helped elect Bill Clinton president in 1992 and worked for a long roster of other winning clients. Also working the comptroller race are Hillary Clinton’s 2008 pollster, Geoffrey Garin, who is now working for Melinda Katz, and Barack Obama’s 2008 pollster, Joel Benenson, who is working for David...