Bill de Blasio
A roller-coaster of a Democratic race for mayor that began with City Council Speaker Christine Quinn (D-Manhattan) as the frontrunner and diverted into the ultimate spectacle that was former U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner’s bid came to a tentative end last night, with Public Advocate Bill de Blasio securing more votes than his eight challengers.
Republican candidate Joe Lhota, meanwhile, handily clinched the GOP’s nomination for mayor, beating billionaire John Catsimatidis 52.64 percent to 40.59 percent, according to unofficial city Board of Election numbers. Lhota, the former chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, received 29,908 votes, while Catsimatidis, the CEO of the Red Apple Group, landed 23,064 votes. Doe Fund founder George McDonald came in last in the Republican bid for the city’s highest office, garnering 3,845 votes.
De Blasio, a Park Slope resident who previously represented parts of Brooklyn in the Council, landed about 40.19 percent of the vote – or 257,034 votes, according to unofficial numbers from the city BOE. Former City Comptroller Bill Thompson, a Brooklyn resident for most of his life before moving to Harlem several years ago, came in second, with 26.04 percent of the vote, or 166,516 votes.
De Blasio’s lead, however, may not be enough to ensure he will not have to participate in a run-off against Thompson, and the city BOE will begin on Friday looking at the 19,000 paper ballots cast. The board is expected to examine the mechanical voting machines by the beginning of next week. If, after all the ballots are counted, de Blasio does not have more than 40 percent of the vote, there will be a run-off between the two leading contenders.
Bill Thompson
“We know there’s a long road ahead,” de Blasio said after being introduced by his 16-year-old son, Dante, who become a celebrity of his own after appearing in a campaign ad for his father, and his 19-year-old daughter, Chiara, at his victory party at the Bell House in Gowanus, Brooklyn. “That’s true for this campaign, but also in the job that we’re seeking to do.
“We are better as a city when we make sure that everyone has a shot,” said de Blasio, who has emphasized issues of income inequality in his campaign. “We begin tonight.”
Thompson, meanwhile, did not concede and said he would continue to fight for the position for which he also ran in 2009 against Mayor Bloomberg.
“Tonight is for everyone out there who’s ever been counted out, for everyone who’s been told their dreams are too big,” Thompson said at his campaign party Tuesday night in Midtown Manhattan. “We are just getting there.”
De Blasio and Thompson also beat Quinn, whose bid for office appears to have been marred by her positive connection with Bloomberg and who received about 15.5 percent of the vote. City Comptroller John Liu, a former councilman representing Flushing, placed fourth, followed by Weiner, who was dogged by a continued sexting scandal – and who fled from his campaign party by giving reporters the middle finger, Bronx Rev. Erick Salgado, comedian Randy Credico, attorney Neil Grimaldi, and, coming in last, former Brooklyn Councilman Sal Albanese.
Standing alongside his wife, Tamra, and daughter, Kathryn, at his victory party at the Hilton in Midtown Manhattan, Lhota said he would “like John Catsimatidis and George McDonald to stand with me and help unify the party.
Joe Lhota
“John is a good man and a solid New Yorker,” Lhota said. “He and I agree on more than we disagree. George is a great guy and a visionary leader. He has become a true friend during this primary. I will seek the advice and counsel of these men as my campaign goes forward.”
The Republican touched on a variety of topics in his victory speech, including supporting the NYPD and small business, as well as cutting taxes.
Catsimatidis appeared downtrodden in his concession speech.
“I wanted to come through – not just for myself, but for all of you,” he said. “I want to apologize to my staff that I didn’t do better, that I didn’t win this thing for all of you. Next time, I’ll work harder.”
By Anna Gustafson
