New York City Public Advocate election, 2009
Encyclopedia
The election of the New York City Public Advocate took place on Tuesday, November 3, 2009, along with elections for the Mayor
, the City Comptroller
, borough presidents, and members of the New York City Council
. The Democratic
candidate, Bill de Blasio, won election with 77% of the vote against 18% for the Republican
nominee, Alex Zablocki
, 3.6% for the Conservative
nominee, William Lee, and 1.7% for two others.
The Public Advocate has the formal role of presiding over meetings of the New York City Council
(although the Speaker elected by the Council itself now does much of this work), and, until the next election, would serve as acting Mayor whenever the elected Mayor is unable to serve.
This election has drawn significant interest from politicians looking to advance their careers, as the extension of New York City term limits allows more incumbents to seek reelection.
announced that she would not run for reelection.
Candidates included Councilman
Eric Gioia
of Queens, who has raised $2.5 million for the campaign; Norman Siegel
, the civil liberties lawyer who lost in a runoff to Gotbaum in 2001; former public advocate Mark Green, and Councilman Bill de Blasio of Brooklyn.
After acknowledging he was considering the race in December 2008, former Public Advocate Mark J. Green
announced on February 10, 2009 that he would again run for the office. Green was Gotbaum's predecessor as Public Advocate and the first person to hold this title. His entry changed the landscape of the race, due to his name recognition and ability to raise money.
Councilman John Liu
, also from Queens, had been considered a potential candidate for Advocate, but he ran for and won the office of New York City Comptroller
— an office uncontested by the current Comptroller, Bill Thompson
, who preferred to seek election as Mayor in 2009. Councilwoman Jessica Lappin
and Guillermo Linares
, a former councilman and current commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, were also considering a run Assemblyman
Adam Clayton Powell IV
was also considered a potential candidate. Lappin decided not to run. Imtiaz S. Syed, a lawyer, economist, investigative accountant, banker, administrator and management consultant, also ran.
On September 15, 2009, de Blasio won 32.6% of the Democratic primary vote and Green 31.5%. (Most of the remaining 36% of the primary voters cast their ballots for Gioia or Siegel.) Neither de Blasio nor Green won enough votes (40%) to avoid a run-off primary election between them two weeks later.
On September 29, Bill de Blasio won that Democratic primary run-off by 62.4% to 37.6% for Mark Green. Turnout was very light, about 220,000 or 10% of the eligible voters, according to The Associated Press
. (In the same run-off election, John Liu led his fellow City Councilman David Yassky
, of Brooklyn, for the Democratic nomination for New York City Comptroller
by 56% to 44% of a similar turnout.)
, an aide to State Senator Andrew Lanza of Staten Island
, has declared his candidacy. At 26 years old, Zablocki is the youngest candidate to run for Public Advocate.
On March 10, Fordham Law School hosted a town hall meeting
with Gioia, Siegel, de Blasio and Green. Zablocki was not invited, which he considered an "outrage". The organizer said that he believed students wanted to see the Democratic contenders first, and wished to set up a debate including Zablocki in the future.
, and over 150 elected officials and organizations. Gioia was endorsed by various labor unions, including Local One of the Stagehands
, the Sergeants Benevolent Association and the Captains Endowment Association. Alex Zablocki was endorsed by all five Republican county organizations in New York City, led by his home borough of Staten Island. Alex Zablocki was also endorsed by the Staten Island Advance on October 30, 2009, as well as The Wave, Rockaway's leading newspaper, on October 23, 2009.
Official results from the New York City Board of Elections
as of September 25, 2009:
As no candidate reached 40%, a runoff election for de Blasio and Green set for September 29 was required.
Official returns (as reported on October 20, 2009):
Bill de Blasio became the Democratic nominee for Public Advocate.
Source: Board of Elections in the City of New York http://www.vote.nyc.ny.us/results.html
Bill de Blasio was elected Public Advocate.
New York City mayoral election, 2009
The 2009 election for Mayor of New York City took place on Tuesday, November 3. The incumbent Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, an independent who left the Republican Party in 2008, won reelection on the Republican and Independence Party/Jobs & Education lines with 50.7% of the vote over the retiring City...
, the City Comptroller
New York City Comptroller election, 2009
The 2009 election for New York City Comptroller was held on November 3, 2009 to coincide with the 2009 mayoral election. The Democratic and Republican primaries were held on September 15, 2009. There was a run-off election for the Democratic Party nomination on September 29, 2009.Joe Mendola was...
, borough presidents, and members of the New York City Council
New York City Council
The New York City Council is the lawmaking body of the City of New York. It has 51 members from 51 council districts throughout the five boroughs. The Council serves as a check against the mayor in a "strong" mayor-council government model. The council monitors performance of city agencies and...
. The Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
candidate, Bill de Blasio, won election with 77% of the vote against 18% for the Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
nominee, Alex Zablocki
Alex Zablocki
Alex Zablocki was the Republican candidate for New York City Public Advocate in the 2009 election cycle and ran for citywide office at the age of 26. He lost the election.-Biography:...
, 3.6% for the Conservative
Conservative Party of New York
The Conservative Party of New York State is an American political party active in the state of New York. It is not part of any nationwide party, nor is it affiliated with the American Conservative Party, which it predates by over 40 years....
nominee, William Lee, and 1.7% for two others.
The Public Advocate has the formal role of presiding over meetings of the New York City Council
New York City Council
The New York City Council is the lawmaking body of the City of New York. It has 51 members from 51 council districts throughout the five boroughs. The Council serves as a check against the mayor in a "strong" mayor-council government model. The council monitors performance of city agencies and...
(although the Speaker elected by the Council itself now does much of this work), and, until the next election, would serve as acting Mayor whenever the elected Mayor is unable to serve.
This election has drawn significant interest from politicians looking to advance their careers, as the extension of New York City term limits allows more incumbents to seek reelection.
Democratic party
Despite the extension of term limits in late 2008, the outgoing Public Advocate, Betsy GotbaumBetsy Gotbaum
Betsy Gotbaum was the New York City Public Advocate. She was elected as Public Advocate for New York City in 2001, and reelected in 2005. A longtime civic leader, she is the third woman elected to a citywide post in NYC history. Because she ran unopposed in the 2001 and 2005 elections, Betsy...
announced that she would not run for reelection.
Candidates included Councilman
New York City Council
The New York City Council is the lawmaking body of the City of New York. It has 51 members from 51 council districts throughout the five boroughs. The Council serves as a check against the mayor in a "strong" mayor-council government model. The council monitors performance of city agencies and...
Eric Gioia
Eric Gioia
Eric N. Gioia is a New York City politician of the Democratic Party. He served for eight years as a member of the New York City Council...
of Queens, who has raised $2.5 million for the campaign; Norman Siegel
Norman Siegel
Norman Siegel was the director of the New York Civil Liberties Union , New York's leading civil rights organization, under the umbrella of the nationwide American Civil Liberties Union...
, the civil liberties lawyer who lost in a runoff to Gotbaum in 2001; former public advocate Mark Green, and Councilman Bill de Blasio of Brooklyn.
After acknowledging he was considering the race in December 2008, former Public Advocate Mark J. Green
Mark J. Green
Mark J. Green is an author, public interest lawyer and a Democratic politician who lives in New York City. He worked with Ralph Nader from 1970-1980, eventually as director of Public Citizen's Congress Watch, and is also the former president of Air America Radio .He was New York City Consumer...
announced on February 10, 2009 that he would again run for the office. Green was Gotbaum's predecessor as Public Advocate and the first person to hold this title. His entry changed the landscape of the race, due to his name recognition and ability to raise money.
Councilman John Liu
John Liu
John Chun Liu is a New York City elected official, currently serving as New York City Comptroller. Liu previously served on the New York City Council representing District 20...
, also from Queens, had been considered a potential candidate for Advocate, but he ran for and won the office of New York City Comptroller
New York City Comptroller
The Office of Comptroller of New York City is the chief fiscal officer and chief auditing officer of the city. The comptroller is elected, citywide, to a four-year term and can hold office for three consecutive terms. The current comptroller is Democrat John Liu, formerly a member of the New York...
— an office uncontested by the current Comptroller, Bill Thompson
Bill Thompson (New York)
William Colridge Thompson, Jr. , known as Bill or Billy, was the 42nd Comptroller of New York City. Sworn into office on January 1, 2002, he was reelected to serve a second term that began on January 1, 2006. He left office on December 31, 2009, having been succeeded by John Liu...
, who preferred to seek election as Mayor in 2009. Councilwoman Jessica Lappin
Jessica Lappin
Jessica S. Lappin is a Democratic New York City Councilwoman representing the 5th District of Manhattan, which includes the Upper East Side and Roosevelt Island...
and Guillermo Linares
Guillermo Linares
Guillermo Linares is a Democratic member of the New York State Assembly, representing the 72nd Assembly District in Manhattan. He is a former New York City councilman and a former New York City Commissioner of Immigrant Affairs.-Life and education:...
, a former councilman and current commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, were also considering a run Assemblyman
New York State Assembly
The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature. The Assembly is composed of 150 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 128,652...
Adam Clayton Powell IV
Adam Clayton Powell IV (politician)
Adam Clayton Powell IV , was a member of the New York State Assembly. From 1992-1997 he served as New York City Council Member representing East Harlem and parts of the Upper West Side and the South Bronx. Since 2000, Powell has represented the 68th Assembly District, which includes parts of Harlem...
was also considered a potential candidate. Lappin decided not to run. Imtiaz S. Syed, a lawyer, economist, investigative accountant, banker, administrator and management consultant, also ran.
On September 15, 2009, de Blasio won 32.6% of the Democratic primary vote and Green 31.5%. (Most of the remaining 36% of the primary voters cast their ballots for Gioia or Siegel.) Neither de Blasio nor Green won enough votes (40%) to avoid a run-off primary election between them two weeks later.
On September 29, Bill de Blasio won that Democratic primary run-off by 62.4% to 37.6% for Mark Green. Turnout was very light, about 220,000 or 10% of the eligible voters, according to The Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
. (In the same run-off election, John Liu led his fellow City Councilman David Yassky
David Yassky
David S. Yassky is a former member of the New York City Council. First elected in 2001, he represented the 33rd Council District, which includes parts of downtown Brooklyn, including Brooklyn Heights, Greenpoint, Williamsburg, DUMBO, Boerum Hill and Park Slope.Yassky is a graduate of Princeton...
, of Brooklyn, for the Democratic nomination for New York City Comptroller
New York City Comptroller
The Office of Comptroller of New York City is the chief fiscal officer and chief auditing officer of the city. The comptroller is elected, citywide, to a four-year term and can hold office for three consecutive terms. The current comptroller is Democrat John Liu, formerly a member of the New York...
by 56% to 44% of a similar turnout.)
Republican party
Alex ZablockiAlex Zablocki
Alex Zablocki was the Republican candidate for New York City Public Advocate in the 2009 election cycle and ran for citywide office at the age of 26. He lost the election.-Biography:...
, an aide to State Senator Andrew Lanza of Staten Island
Staten Island
Staten Island is a borough of New York City, New York, United States, located in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay...
, has declared his candidacy. At 26 years old, Zablocki is the youngest candidate to run for Public Advocate.
Other parties
- William Lee, Conservative Party of New YorkConservative Party of New YorkThe Conservative Party of New York State is an American political party active in the state of New York. It is not part of any nationwide party, nor is it affiliated with the American Conservative Party, which it predates by over 40 years....
- Maura DeLuca, Socialist Workers PartySocialist Workers Party (United States)The Socialist Workers Party is a far-left political organization in the United States. The group places a priority on "solidarity work" to aid strikes and is strongly supportive of Cuba...
- Jim Lesczynski, Libertarian Party of New YorkLibertarian Party of New YorkThe Libertarian Party of New York is a political party in the United States active in the state of New York. It is the recognized affiliate of the national Libertarian Party....
Campaign
Gotbaum has set up meetings with each of her potential successors in order to help them understand the position. On March 30, 2009, Alex Zablocki, Republican candidate for Public Advocate, met with Gotbaum in her office for about an hour to discuss the importance of the office and afterwards thanked her for her service.On March 10, Fordham Law School hosted a town hall meeting
Town hall meeting
A town hall meeting is an American English term given to an informal public meeting. Everybody in a town community is invited to attend, not always to voice their opinions, but to hear the responses from public figures and elected officials about shared subjects of interest. Attendees rarely voted...
with Gioia, Siegel, de Blasio and Green. Zablocki was not invited, which he considered an "outrage". The organizer said that he believed students wanted to see the Democratic contenders first, and wished to set up a debate including Zablocki in the future.
Endorsements
De Blasio was endorsed by the New York Times, the Working Families PartyWorking Families Party
The Working Families Party is a minor political party in the United States founded in New York in 1998. There are "sister" parties to the New York WFP in Connecticut, Massachusetts, South Carolina, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Oregon, but there is as yet no national WFP...
, and over 150 elected officials and organizations. Gioia was endorsed by various labor unions, including Local One of the Stagehands
International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employes
The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, or I.A.T.S.E., is a labor union representing technicians, artisans and craftspersons in the entertainment industry, including live theatre, motion...
, the Sergeants Benevolent Association and the Captains Endowment Association. Alex Zablocki was endorsed by all five Republican county organizations in New York City, led by his home borough of Staten Island. Alex Zablocki was also endorsed by the Staten Island Advance on October 30, 2009, as well as The Wave, Rockaway's leading newspaper, on October 23, 2009.
Democratic Primary
Tuesday, September 15, 2009Official results from the New York City Board of Elections
New York City Board of Elections
The Board of Elections in the City of New York meets once a week at 32 Broadway, New York NY, on the Sixth Floor. By law, there are ten commissioners, two from each of the five boroughs of New York City. One of these two is from each of the two parties whose candidates got the most votes in the...
as of September 25, 2009:
| 2009 Democratic initial primary | Manhattan | The Bronx | Brooklyn | Queens | Richmond [Staten Is.] | Total | % |
| Bill de Blasio | 35,013 | 16,662 | 47,791 | 17,054 | 2,947 | 119,467 | 32.6% |
| 31.7% | 36.7% | 41.3% | 20.5% | 24.6% | |||
| Mark Green Mark Green Mark Andrew Green is an American politician and a former United States Ambassador to Tanzania, a position he held from August 2007 until January 2009. He was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1999 to 2007, representing... |
34,601 | 14,426 | 33,790 | 28,480 | 4,211 | 115,508 | 31.5% |
| 31.3% | 31.8% | 29.2% | 34.2% | 35.1% | |||
| Eric N. Gioia Eric Gioia Eric N. Gioia is a New York City politician of the Democratic Party. He served for eight years as a member of the New York City Council... |
17,309 | 6,859 | 15,082 | 24,838 | 2,771 | 66,859 | 18.2% |
| 15.7% | 15.1% | 13.0% | 29.8% | 23.1% | |||
| Norman Siegel Norman Siegel Norman Siegel was the director of the New York Civil Liberties Union , New York's leading civil rights organization, under the umbrella of the nationwide American Civil Liberties Union... |
20,246 | 5,745 | 14,335 | 10,135 | 1,759 | 52,220 | 14.2% |
| 18.3% | 12.7% | 12.4% | 12.2% | 14.7% | |||
| Imtiaz S. Syed | 3,221 | 1,679 | 4,750 | 2,875 | 295 | 12,820 | 3.5% |
| 2.9% | 3.7% | 4.1% | 3.4% | 2.5% | |||
| all write-in votes | 14 | 1 | 18 | 10 | 0 | 43 | 0.01% |
| T O T A L | 110,404 | 45,372 | 115,766 | 83,392 | 11,983 | 366,917 |
As no candidate reached 40%, a runoff election for de Blasio and Green set for September 29 was required.
Democratic Run-off Primary
Tuesday, September 29, 2009Official returns (as reported on October 20, 2009):
| 2009 Democratic initial primary | Manhattan | The Bronx | Brooklyn | Queens | Richmond [Staten Is.] | Total | % |
| Bill de Blasio | 46,295 | 17,074 | 49,667 | 28,450 | 3,927 | 145,413 | 62.4% |
| 61.4% | 61.7% | 67.6% | 57.0% | 58.0% | |||
| Mark Green Mark Green Mark Andrew Green is an American politician and a former United States Ambassador to Tanzania, a position he held from August 2007 until January 2009. He was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1999 to 2007, representing... |
29,121 | 10,589 | 23,814 | 21,429 | 2,840 | 87,793 | 37.6% |
| 38.6% | 38.3% | 32.4% | 43.0% | 42.0% | |||
| T O T A L | 75,416 | 27,663 | 73,481 | 49,879 | 6,767 | 233,206 |
Bill de Blasio became the Democratic nominee for Public Advocate.
General Election
Tuesday, November 3, 2009| 2009 general election | party | Manhattan | The Bronx | Brooklyn | Queens | Staten Island | Total | % |
| Bill de Blasio | Democratic | 183,917 | 92,022 | 205,155 | 166,119 | 32,153 | 679,366 | 72.7% |
| Working Families Working Families Party The Working Families Party is a minor political party in the United States founded in New York in 1998. There are "sister" parties to the New York WFP in Connecticut, Massachusetts, South Carolina, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Oregon, but there is as yet no national WFP... |
12,608 | 3,434 | 18,602 | 8,215 | 2,404 | 45,263 | 4.8% | |
| Total | 196,525 | 95,456 | 223,757 | 174,334 | 34,557 | 724,629 | 77.6% | |
| 81.5% | 84.9% | 81.7% | 73.2% | 50.5% | ||||
| Alex T. Zablocki | Republican | 35,515 | 13,013 | 37,683 | 49,988 | 27,891 | 164,090 | 17.6% |
| 14.7% | 11.6% | 13.8% | 21.0% | 40.7% | ||||
| William J. Lee | Conservative Conservative Party of New York The Conservative Party of New York State is an American political party active in the state of New York. It is not part of any nationwide party, nor is it affiliated with the American Conservative Party, which it predates by over 40 years.... |
|4,929 | 2,902 | 8,737 | 10,523 | 5,185 | 32,276 | 3.5% |
| 2.0% | 2.6% | 3.2% | 4.4% | 7.6% | ||||
| Maura de Luca | Socialist Workers Socialist Workers Party (United States) The Socialist Workers Party is a far-left political organization in the United States. The group places a priority on "solidarity work" to aid strikes and is strongly supportive of Cuba... |
2,455 | 788 | 2,555 | 2,029 | 478 | 8,305 | 0.9% |
| Jim Lesczynski | Libertarian | 1,812 | 268 | 1,223 | 1,138 | 367 | 4,808 | 0.5% |
| Total Write-ins | 37 | 17 | 30 | 29 | 10 | 123 | 0.01% | |
| Total Votes | 241,273 | 112,444 | 273,985 | 238,041 | 68,488 | 934,231 | ||
Source: Board of Elections in the City of New York http://www.vote.nyc.ny.us/results.html
Bill de Blasio was elected Public Advocate.
See also
- New York City Public Advocate
- Government of New York CityGovernment of New York CityThe government of New York City is organized under the City Charter and provides for a "strong" mayor-council system. The government of New York is more centralized than that of most other U.S...
- New York City mayoral election, 2009New York City mayoral election, 2009The 2009 election for Mayor of New York City took place on Tuesday, November 3. The incumbent Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, an independent who left the Republican Party in 2008, won reelection on the Republican and Independence Party/Jobs & Education lines with 50.7% of the vote over the retiring City...
- New York City Comptroller election, 2009New York City Comptroller election, 2009The 2009 election for New York City Comptroller was held on November 3, 2009 to coincide with the 2009 mayoral election. The Democratic and Republican primaries were held on September 15, 2009. There was a run-off election for the Democratic Party nomination on September 29, 2009.Joe Mendola was...