Catalina Camia, USA TODAY 6 a.m. EDT September 10, 2013
New York City mayoral candidate Bill de Blasio campaigns at the West Indian Day Parade on Sept. 2, 2013, in Brooklyn.(Photo: Michael Loccisano, Getty Images)
[h=3]Story Highlights[/h]
Can Bill de Blasio win the Democratic nomination for New York City mayor on Tuesday night?
That's the overriding question as a fraction of the city's estimated 4.4 million voters go to the polls today to choose a Democratic and Republican nominee who will face off Nov. 5 to replace independent Michael Bloomberg.
Polls close at 9 p.m. ET.
De Blasio, the city's public advocate, surged in public opinion polls in recent weeks as he played up his plans for public schools and affordable housing, while also criticizing Bloomberg's 12-year tenure.
He needs to win 40% to avoid an Oct. 1 runoff. Former city comptroller William Thompson, who lost to Bloomberg in 2009, and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn were at least 14 percentage points behind de Blasio in the final Quinnipiac Poll of likely Democratic voters released Monday.
The Democratic nominee will face Republican Joe Lhota, a deputy mayor and budget director in Rudy Giuliani's administration, or John Catsimatidis, a grocery store magnate.
Democrats outnumber Republicans in voter registration by 6 to 1, meaning the Democratic nominee will be the heavy favorite to become mayor of the nation's most-populous city. Despite the city's political tilt, a Democrat hasn't been elected mayor since David Dinkins defeated Ed Koch in 1989.
Tuesday's outcome "is all on the get-out-the-vote ... and field operations," said Doug Muzzio, a political scientist at Baruch College.
Christine Quinn and Anthony Weiner at one time led polls for the Democratic nomination for New York City mayor.(Photo: James Keivom, AP)
New York City voters will also decide the fate of a pair of disgraced Democrats, former congressman Anthony Weiner and ex-governor Eliot Spitzer, whose once-promising political careers were derailed by sex scandals.
Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist Institute of Public Opinion, said de Blasio's success can be attributed to timing, Weiner's demise and doubts about Quinn, who is vying to become the first woman and first openly gay mayor of New York City.
Quinn has taken shots for supporting Bloomberg when he wanted to overturn the city's term limits law, which allowed the independent to run and win a third term. De Blasio, by contrast, was one of the loudest opponents to Bloomberg on term limits.
De Blasio "peaked at the right time," Miringoff said, noting that Bloomberg was "hurtful to Quinn because of his association with her."
There is also the "Dante effect" That's a reference to a campaign commercial featuring de Blasio's 15-year-old son, Dante, who bragged in the spot that his father is "the only Democrat who has the guts to really break from the Bloomberg years."
That ad was also the first time many New York City voters may have learned that de Blasio, who is white, is married to an African-American woman, Chirlane, and that the couple's two children are biracial. Dante has a sister, Chiara, an 18-year-old college student.
Bloomberg told New York magazine that de Blasio was running a "racist" campaign, before clarifying that the public advocate was "making an appeal using his family to gain support."
"Despite what Mayor Bloomberg said about Bill de Blasio, the ad with his son was masterful and caught people's attention," said Bruce Berg, a political scientist at Fordham University. "That was a good ad for them."
The circus-like nature of the mayor's race ended weeks ago as Weiner's support dropped because he acknowledged he sent salacious messages to women via the Internet as late as last year. The revelation that his sexting habits continued even after he resigned from Congress in 2011 effectively derailed his chances for mayor — a job Weiner has long coveted.
Now, Weiner is running fourth behind de Blasio, Thompson and Quinn among the six major Democratic candidates. John Liu, the city's current comptroller, and former council member Sal Albanese round out the Democratic field.
In New York City's other high-profile primary, Spitzer and Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer are vying for the Democratic nomination for city comptroller. Stringer has been building momentum since Spitzer, who resigned in 2008 amid a prostitution scandal, stunned the political world in July that he would ask voters for "forgiveness" and run for comptroller.
The Democratic nominee for comptroller, who serves as the city's auditor, will face Republican John Burnett in the fall. Burnett is a longtime wealth manager at Wall Street firms.
Contributing: Martha T. Moore in New York.
Follow @ccamia on Twitter.
New York City mayoral candidate Bill de Blasio campaigns at the West Indian Day Parade on Sept. 2, 2013, in Brooklyn.(Photo: Michael Loccisano, Getty Images)
[h=3]Story Highlights[/h]
- Public Advocate Bill de Blasio had double-digit leads for Democratic nomination
- Winner needs 40% to avoid Oct. 1 runoff
- Primary voters also deciding fate of disgraced Democrats Anthony Weiner, Eliot Spitzer
Can Bill de Blasio win the Democratic nomination for New York City mayor on Tuesday night?
That's the overriding question as a fraction of the city's estimated 4.4 million voters go to the polls today to choose a Democratic and Republican nominee who will face off Nov. 5 to replace independent Michael Bloomberg.
Polls close at 9 p.m. ET.
De Blasio, the city's public advocate, surged in public opinion polls in recent weeks as he played up his plans for public schools and affordable housing, while also criticizing Bloomberg's 12-year tenure.
He needs to win 40% to avoid an Oct. 1 runoff. Former city comptroller William Thompson, who lost to Bloomberg in 2009, and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn were at least 14 percentage points behind de Blasio in the final Quinnipiac Poll of likely Democratic voters released Monday.
The Democratic nominee will face Republican Joe Lhota, a deputy mayor and budget director in Rudy Giuliani's administration, or John Catsimatidis, a grocery store magnate.
Democrats outnumber Republicans in voter registration by 6 to 1, meaning the Democratic nominee will be the heavy favorite to become mayor of the nation's most-populous city. Despite the city's political tilt, a Democrat hasn't been elected mayor since David Dinkins defeated Ed Koch in 1989.
Tuesday's outcome "is all on the get-out-the-vote ... and field operations," said Doug Muzzio, a political scientist at Baruch College.
New York City voters will also decide the fate of a pair of disgraced Democrats, former congressman Anthony Weiner and ex-governor Eliot Spitzer, whose once-promising political careers were derailed by sex scandals.
Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist Institute of Public Opinion, said de Blasio's success can be attributed to timing, Weiner's demise and doubts about Quinn, who is vying to become the first woman and first openly gay mayor of New York City.
Quinn has taken shots for supporting Bloomberg when he wanted to overturn the city's term limits law, which allowed the independent to run and win a third term. De Blasio, by contrast, was one of the loudest opponents to Bloomberg on term limits.
De Blasio "peaked at the right time," Miringoff said, noting that Bloomberg was "hurtful to Quinn because of his association with her."
There is also the "Dante effect" That's a reference to a campaign commercial featuring de Blasio's 15-year-old son, Dante, who bragged in the spot that his father is "the only Democrat who has the guts to really break from the Bloomberg years."
That ad was also the first time many New York City voters may have learned that de Blasio, who is white, is married to an African-American woman, Chirlane, and that the couple's two children are biracial. Dante has a sister, Chiara, an 18-year-old college student.
Bloomberg told New York magazine that de Blasio was running a "racist" campaign, before clarifying that the public advocate was "making an appeal using his family to gain support."
"Despite what Mayor Bloomberg said about Bill de Blasio, the ad with his son was masterful and caught people's attention," said Bruce Berg, a political scientist at Fordham University. "That was a good ad for them."
The circus-like nature of the mayor's race ended weeks ago as Weiner's support dropped because he acknowledged he sent salacious messages to women via the Internet as late as last year. The revelation that his sexting habits continued even after he resigned from Congress in 2011 effectively derailed his chances for mayor — a job Weiner has long coveted.
Now, Weiner is running fourth behind de Blasio, Thompson and Quinn among the six major Democratic candidates. John Liu, the city's current comptroller, and former council member Sal Albanese round out the Democratic field.
In New York City's other high-profile primary, Spitzer and Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer are vying for the Democratic nomination for city comptroller. Stringer has been building momentum since Spitzer, who resigned in 2008 amid a prostitution scandal, stunned the political world in July that he would ask voters for "forgiveness" and run for comptroller.
The Democratic nominee for comptroller, who serves as the city's auditor, will face Republican John Burnett in the fall. Burnett is a longtime wealth manager at Wall Street firms.
Contributing: Martha T. Moore in New York.
Follow @ccamia on Twitter.