City Councilwoman Letitia James is the winner in the Democratic runoff for public advocate over state Senator Daniel Squadron.
According to the Associated Press, with 99 percent of precincts reporting as of 11 p.m. Tuesday, James has 59 percent of the vote to Squadron’s 41 percent.
In her victory speech, James reminded her supporters that she was from working class roots.
“As someone who comes from humble beginnings and never forgets that fact. I have experienced it myself,” she said.
Squadron issued a statement at approximately 10:15 p.m. Tuesday congratulating James on winning the runoff.
Squadron’s statement read, in part, “We ran this campaign making the case that the Public Advocate’s office can be essential to our city – getting results for New Yorkers who need them. For New Yorkers without a voice, without high-powered lobbyists, without City Hall on speed dial. For people with no place else to turn. Their families need a strong Public Advocate.”
The runoff election was necessary after neither candidate received 40 percent of the vote in the September 10 primary.
James got 36 percent in last month’s Democratic primary, while Squadron received 34 percent, necessitating the runoff at a cost of around $ 13 million.
View election returns for Tuesday’s Democratic Public Advocate Runoff race, live as they come in.
The race between James and Squadron became increasingly bitter in the days leading up to Tuesday’s runoff showdown, with personal attacks and finger pointing.
Both candidates addressed the negative turn in the race when they went to vote in the polls Tuesday.
“All I wanted to do was talk about really talk about the issues, and all I wanted to do was really be a public servant,” James said. “So all of these personal attacks, we really need to do better.”
“I think it’s really unfortunate that my opponent decided to go negative months ago and has repeated some personal attacks and innuendo that have proven not true, as late as yesterday,” Squadron said. “I really think that’s unfortunate. My campaign has stuck to the facts. We focused overwhelmingly on our plan for the office.”
James was first elected to the City Council in 2003 to fulfill the unexpired term of city councilman James Davis, who was shot and killed inside City Hall.
James is best known for her strong stance against Mayor Michael Bloomberg following the city’s botched response to the 2010 blizzard and her outspoken opposition to the New York City Police Department practice known as stop-and-frisk.
Squadron was first elected to the state Senate in 2009.
He had the backing of Sen. Charles Schumer, as well as The New York Times, the Daily News and the New York Post.
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