The city’s primaries may be over, but for many candidates the heavy lifting has only just begun.
And in no contest is that more true than the race for city Public Advocate, where Council Member Letitia James (D-Brooklyn) faces a runoff election against state Sen. Dan Squadron (D-Manhattan, Brooklyn) on Oct. 1.
Letitia James
James, known as a progressive voice in the Council who has championed issues from housing and social justice to women’s rights and job development, is hoping her reputation as a fighter is strong enough to knock out Squadron, a solid and well-respected state senator who has the backing of powerful unions and politicians, including U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer and State Sen. Brad Hoylman (D-Manhattan).
The runoff election is necessary because neither candidate reached the 40 percent threshold required by state law. James finished slightly ahead of Squadron by roughly three percentage points.
“We’re proud to earn first place in the Democratic Primary and a spot in the runoff,” said a spokesman for James’ campaign.
“Councilwoman James will continue to fight for every single vote and discuss her record of standing up to powerful interests on behalf of everyday New Yorkers,” the James campaign said.
The spokesman added that James will bring the same “passion and experience she’s demonstrated in the City Council to the Public Advocate’s office and take New York City in a new direction.”
Going forward, a James campaign spokesman said they would be concentrating on building on endorsements, possibly including one from high-profile feminist Gloria Steinem.
“We will be campaigning throughout all five boroughs, picking up supporters from some other [former] candidates, such as Reshma Saujani, and we will continue to build on our momentum,” he said. “We plan to really close the deal in the runoff.”
In a statement, Squadron’s campaign said that the senator’s momentum and grassroots energy continues to build ahead of the October 1st runoff.
“He’s been the grassroots leader in the race, topping the Public Advocate field and nearly all other city campaigns in matching funds, organizing over 180 house parties and events, and building a diverse coalition of supporters across the city,” said a spokesperson for Squadron’s campaign.
Moreover, powerful political voices have endorsed Squadron, such as state Sen. Adriano Espaillat (D-Manhattan, Bronx), who called Squadron, a “tireless champion for the New Yorkers who need one most: low-income families, immigrants, seniors, and so many others.”
Dan Squadron
“This campaign is all about making the Public Advocate’s office essential to our city so that it gets results for kids, families, and seniors who need them,” Squadron said.
But, historically speaking, runoff elections in New York City tend to fall short when it comes to voter turnout.
Gene Russianoff, a senior attorney with New York Public Interest Research Group, recalled that the last runoff campaign for public advocate was in 2009 between current mayoral candidate Bill de Blasio and Mark Green.
He said that voter numbers in the primary that year were about 326,000 and then dropped precipitously in the runoff to about 233,000.
“The numbers were low but generally all these numbers are an embarrassment to democracy,” Russianoff said.
While Russianoff couldn’t say one way or the other which candidate might benefit from the runoff election, he did acknowledge that the election is expensive.
“The $20 million price tag for the runoff is a ‘big hit,’ on taxpayers,” he said, adding that NYPIRG has not yet officially taken a position on the runoffs.
But, there are some in Brooklyn who are definitely taking a position on the runoff election system.
James Lane, a Green Party candidate who also lives in Brooklyn, has strong views on the runoff and is calling for James to drop off the ballot since she will already be on the ticket as a Working Families Party candidate in November.
“It’s unconscionable to me that we are going to have a $20 million runoff election when one of the candidates is already guaranteed a spot on the November ballot under the Working Families Party” said Lane. “This is the exact type of misuse of public funds I want to prevent in the future. If you want to be a candidate of working families, you shouldn’t waste public funding that is needed for healthcare, housing, jobs and schools.”
But, Russianoff said that asking someone to drop off the ballot was “unrealistic.”
“It’s hard to ask someone to concede, especially when they [Squadron and James] were so close to each other by percentages.”
Jame’s campaign discounted Lane’s call to drop out of the race, also calling it an “unrealistic” position. A James spokesman also said that for James to “drop out” would be rejecting her voters’ wishes, who sought to elect her as the Democratic candidate for public advocate.
And, while Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer may have a somewhat easier path to the City Comptroller’s office, his campaign notes that they are not resting on any laurels.
“While we are gratified by the support Scott received in the primary, he will be taking nothing for granted as a candidate in the general election and plans to continue to campaign aggressively into the fall,” said spokeswoman Audrey Gelman.
Stringer, who has repeatedly discussed his vision for how the Comptroller’s office can help boost the fortunes of both middle class and working families, seems to be getting support from even beyond the city.
Last week, the Washington Post named Stringer a “Distinguished Politician of the Week.” The paper called Stringer a “low key, diligent politician…whose record of sober and honest service and considerable tenacity were sufficient for victory.”
By Alan Krawitz
