The Republican nominee for mayor is set but the Democratic race for mayor may still be headed for a runoff after yesterday’s primary.
Public Advocate Bill de Blasio got 40.2 percent of the total vote. Assuming that lead holds he is above 40 percent of the vote and can avoid a runoff.
Currently, he is only about 1,200 votes above 40 percent with paper and absentee ballots still to be counted.
Those results may not be known until next week.
Speaking to supporters last night, de Blasio cautiously declared victory and portrayed himself as a fighter against the status quo.
“I know that some powerful interests who benefited from the status quo will not stand still. They throw everything they at us – doing whatever it is in their power to stop the forces of change. But we have come to far my friends, and the future of the next generation of New Yorkers is too important,” De Blasio said.
Second place finisher Bill Thompson pulled a distant 26 percent of the vote, but refused to concede.
Thompson congratulated de Blasio on a well-fought campaign but said he thinks the paper and absentee ballots will lift him to a runoff.
“This is far from over. Far from over,” said Thompson. “And I just want to thank each and every one of you over the hours to come because as I said every vote, every voice needs to be counted and heard before a decision is made.”
The city Board of Elections says the voting machines will be opened on Friday, and the tally will be re-counted then.
The paper ballots will not be opened until Monday.
Meanwhile, it was a rough night for City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, who was the early favorite in the Democratic mayoral race.
Quinn’s historic bid to become New York’s first female and openly gay mayor ended with a third place finish.
The loss marks the end of her 14 year political career in the city — one that was marked by a close relationship with Mayor Michael Bloomberg that may have hurt her standing with Democratic voters.
In particular, she faced harsh criticism for her support of the mayor’s effort to overturn term limits. While conceding the race, Quinn said she still has high hopes for the direction the city is going.
“Although I’m obviously disappointed by the results, I gotta tell you, all of you guys couldn’t make me more optimistic about the future of our city,” Quinn said.
Coming in fourth place in the Democratic race for mayor was John Liu.
The City Comptroller finished just a few points ahead of Anthony Weiner.
Liu said in his concession speech that he was proud of the campaign he ran.
“We have overcome many obstacles and challenges along the way, every imaginable curveball, but with every one of these challenges we have always risen to the task,” said Liu. “And though we did not win this election tonight, we are not going away.”
Weiner’s comeback campaign, meantime, ended with a whimper and a bang.
The former Congressman came in fifth place with around five percent of the vote.
Weiner was the first candidate to concede and admitted he did not do enough to get his message across.
“I have to say ladies and gentlemen, there’s no doubt about it. We had the best ideas. Sadly, I was an imperfect messenger,” he said.
Weiner’s sexting scandal followed him to the final moments of his campaign.
Sydney Leathers, who had an online relationship with Weiner, appeared outside his Midtown viewing party to discourage support for him.
“I think more than anything he needs to just stop being an embarrassment to the City of New York, he should have dropped out of the race a long time ago in my opinion,” Leathers said.
After Weiner left his event, he was caught making an obscene gesture to reporters out his car window while driving off.
Over on the GOP front, former MTA chairman Joe Lhota ran away with the party’s nomination for mayor.
Lhota took 52 percent of the vote, easily defeating his rivals John Catsimatidis and George McDonald.
In his victory speech, Lhota urged Republicans to forget the mudslinging of the primary and unite as one party against the Democrats.
“I’m hearing an awful lot coming from the other side of a tale of two cities and how they want to tear down the progress that’s been made over the last 20 years,” said Lhota. “This tale is nothing more than class warfare, an attempt to divide our city. It’s a feeble retreat to an old playbook that promises a perfect world, but delivers only special interest dominated politics. It’s this kind of thinking that brought our city to the brink of bankruptcy and with rampant civic decay.”
Catsimatidis gave a tearful concession speech.
The billionaire businessman apologized to supporters telling them he will “try harder next time”.
POST-PRIMARY SPEECHES
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