September 12, 2013
By Joe Maniscalco
New York, NY – Mayoral hopeful Bill Thompson dismissed the latest election night numbers showing Democratic rival Bill de Blasio had cracked the 40-percent threshold to sew up the party’s nomination, and instead vowed to soon meet his challenger in a one-on-one runoff election before ultimately becoming New York City's next mayor. (Watch Video)
“We are just getting going here,” Thompson told a roomful of Primary night supporters at the Aventi Hotel, located at 851 Avenue of the Americas, on Tuesday night. “We are just starting. Let me congratulate Bill de Blasio for running a good campaign – that’s something he knows how to do. But, every voice in New York City counts. And we’re going to wait for every voice to be heard. We’re going to wait for every voice to be counted. So, my friends, this is far from over.”
At the time of this writing, 98 percent of the city’s precincts had reported in, giving Public Advocate Bill de Blasio 40.2 percent of the vote and 26.1 percent to Thompson. That’s enough to avert a runoff. But the Thompson campaign is pressing ahead until every outstanding vote is actually logged.
That process – as has become the hallmark of 21st century American elections – could take awhile as absentee ballots are accessed and problems involving voting machine malfunctions are investigated.
“I think we all know that this race is incredibly close,” Thompson said on Primary night. “There are still tens of thousands of ballots that remain to be counted. Tonight is for everyone of you out there who have ever been counted out. For everyone that’s ever been told that their dreams are too big and the world doesn’t have enough room for them. Tonight is for you. Tonight is for your dreams.”
Thompson’s supporters remain undaunted as well.
“Bill Thompson has the support of the working people of this city because Bill Thompson understands working people in this city,” State Senator Diane Savino said. “He understands how hard it is for workers in this city to make ends meet.”
The former comptroller, and now two-time mayoral contender, has enjoyed the support of many labor unions throughout the long campaign, who are now counting on a Thompson administration to flip the script on years of shabby treatment from both the Bloomberg and Giuliani administrations.
Teamsters Local 237 President Greg Floyd predicted a Thompson/de Blasio runoff early in the evening.
“I’m not looking at any exit polls, I’m not looking at any inside strategy, I feel that in my heart of hearts, and my gut is telling me there’s going to be a runoff,” Floyd told LaborPress. “I just don’t see any candidate in this race getting forty-percent.”
Floyd called Thompson’s campaign “very good” and “disciplined,” and said that he is still looking forward to starting a great working relationship with Thompson as New York City’s next mayor.
“If you’re in a runoff in this field of five, seven, nine candidates – to come in second place, to get yourself to a runoff, you’re still within striking distance of getting the nomination,” Floyd said.
“Tonight is for New York City where no dream is too big,” Thompson continued. “We’re going to win this race to make room for every one of those dreams. We started this fight more than four years ago when a small group of politicians conspired to take your voice away and let Mike Bloomberg buy a third term. Some people helped him. Others took a pass on fighting against him. And lots of people said nothing could be done about it anyway. But not you, and not us. We took Mike Bloomberg on. And we almost beat him. Now, we’re going to finish what we started.”
