As a father of three children in local public schools and a member of District 3’s Community Education Council (CEC), Gotbaum has led a charge against the co-location of charter schools and has been an outspoken critic of the Department of Education’s policies. He’s also been involved in making the CEC a unified voice for parents from a diverse district that encompasses the Upper West Side as well as Manhattan Valley and parts of Central and West Harlem.

Now Gotbaum has formed a campaign committee and said that he’ll be spending the next six to nine months raising money and garnering support for a potential run, one he will base on his experience as an education advocate.

“I come from a labor family, but I’ve worked for 25 years in the private sector. Public service has always been in my blood,” Gotbaum said in an interview, acknowledging the influence of his father, Victor Gotbaum, a prominent labor leader, and his stepmother, former Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum, as well as his family’s history of teaching in public schools.

“I see the public advocate position as a way to really stand up and speak up for those who feel disenfranchised, and that’s really expanded, unfortunately, under Bloomberg,” Gotbaum said. He wants to encourage grassroots and community involvement in local decision-making and would point to some of the collaborative successes of the Upper West Side community as models for other neighborhoods.

Education reform will be the cornerstone of any campaign, he said.

“One in every three New Yorkers is involved in the public school system in one way or another. We don’t really have effective advocates for us as parents and for our kids,” said Gotbaum. “We waste money when it’s not being watched. We are wasting literally billions on no-bid contracts, on services that aren’t being delivered, on funds that aren’t even being collected. We have $600 million in special education fees that Bloomberg has not collected that are owed [from the state and federal governments]. While we’re not getting our fair share, we’re threatening to lay off teachers; we need to hire more.”

He said that neither Mayor Bloomberg nor Chancellor Dennis Walcott have done enough to ensure that every student gets a quality education, and is critical of mayoral control of the school system.

“The office of the public advocate is about ensuring that the services of the city are being delivered properly and efficiently and that they work for our communities, for everyone. When you have essentially close to a dictatorship at the top, that doesn’t happen,” Gotbaum said.

He also said that the lack of services applies to other sectors, like the economy and jobs, and that the public advocate should be watching those areas closely.

“In terms of the middle class and working class, we’re not providing the services that we need. We’re not investing properly in education, which is huge—in training our students and our work force adequately,” Gotbaum said. “We’re also not providing the services that enable people to get into the workforce: child care, after-school programs, job training programs.”

Gotbaum said he will wait for current public advocate Bill de Blasio to declare his 2013 plans—he is likely to run for mayor—before making an ultimate decision on whether to run. City & State reported last week that other likely contenders in the race will be City Council Member Letitia James of Brooklyn and Reshma Saujani, who challenged Upper East Side Rep. Carolyn Maloney in 2010 and has been working for de Blasio’s office since. Manhattan-Brooklyn State Sen. Daniel Squadron is also reported to be considering a run.

Manhattan Borough President

Incumbent: Scott Stringer, Democrat

Educational background: I graduated from New York City public schools, including John F. Kennedy High School and John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

Qualifications for office: As a lifelong Manhattanite, I am devoted to public service. I served for 13 years in the State Assembly, where I authored legislation to protect victims of domestic violence, led the successful fight to end “empty-seat voting” in Albany and voted against every attempt to weaken rent regulations. As Borough President, I have revitalized Manhattan’s community boards, built coalitions among diverse stakeholders, used the land-use process to tackle issues ranging from affordable housing to school overcrowding, and worked to make Manhattan healthier, greener, safer and more affordable.

Three goals I’d most want to accomplish during my next term: 1) Manhattan’s public schools will top my agenda. Continued progress on public education is essential for the future of our children and our economic vitality. Although English and mathematics test scores have improved, many challenges remain. My work on school overcrowding created new schools and started reforming the city’s planning process for school construction to prepare for the likely addition of a million residents in the next two decades. 2) I will bolster Manhattan’s economic security by working to create jobs, support small business and diversify our economy beyond Wall Street. 3) I will strive to make New York the greenest and healthiest city in the United States by fighting to reduce diabetes and asthma and expanding my “Go Green” programs that add farmers markets, plant street trees and give people healthier food choices.

Why my challenger is the wrong person for this job: I believe the office of borough president plays an indispensable role in giving neighborhoods a voice in development and solving Manhattan’s problems. My challenger, who seems like a very nice fellow, does not.

Challenger: David Casavis, Republican

Educational background: B.A., SUNY Buffalo, history/education (teacher’s certificate); M.B.A., PACE University; M.S. in real estate valuation and analysis, New York University.

Qualifications for office: There is almost nothing left to the office of borough president except for urban land issues. I have worked on, and extensively written about, these issues for more than 20 years. These included an impact study on New York City if the city won the 2008 Olympic bid, and a projection of where the new central business district of Berlin would form after the fall of the Berlin Wall, when East and West Berlin came together as one city. I have been involved with the ULURP land-use review procedure and assembled the Society of Industrial Office Realtors’ annual report. I will continue to work on such land-use issues long after my opponent moves on to his next appointive position. I hope to utilize my vast expanse of technical expertise in the field to represent Manhattan.

Three goals I’d most want to accomplish during my first term: There is only one issue in any borough president’s race: whether to keep a vestigial organ or to remove it. Like the human appendix, it is benign until it becomes infected—and then it must be removed. Twenty years after the U.S. Supreme Court found that the Board of Estimate proffered unconstitutional representation to different boroughs, the president of the Board of Estimate is still on the ballot. I promise that, when elected, I will make it my sole impetus to eradicate the office of the borough president, beginning with my own seat in Manhattan.

The incumbent’s biggest failing: I am running against an office, not an individual. Yet I am moved by the many rank-and-file Democrats who labor diligently for their party and their beliefs only to be scorned by one of the elected officials they labored so hard for.

City Comptroller

John Liu, Democrat

Educational background: I am a proud product of New York City public schools, beginning with kindergarten at P.S. 20 and going all the way through to the Bronx High School of Science. I went on to earn a degree in mathematical physics at SUNY-Binghamton.

Qualifications for office: I am a certified actuary, and immediately prior to my historic election in 2001, I managed a team of actuaries at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, working on the largest pension plans in the country. This professional experience, combined with my extensive understanding of city government gained through my terms in the City Council, qualify me well to serve as the next city comptroller.

Three goals I’d most want to accomplish during my first term: 1) Ensure federal stimulus funds are actually used for capital infrastructure projects (i.e. roads, bridges, mass transit) and for creating jobs in New York City. 2) Ensure equal opportunities for women- and minority-owned businesses, especially with regard to the procurement process. 3) Accountability and transparency in city agencies, achieved by fully utilizing the power of audit (both financial and operational) upon city agencies, particularly the Department of Education, the Industrial Development Agency and the Economic Development Corporation. Also examine past and future city development deals that feature(d) specific promises of affordable housing and job creation.

Why I am a better choice than my opponent: As my fellow comptroller candidates, I offer professional financial expertise. However, unlike the other candidates who would likely face a much steeper learning curve, I bring the deep understanding of how city government and agencies work in order for me to hit the ground running on January 1, 2010.

Joe Mendola, Republican

Educational background: Archbishop Molloy High School, Queens, N.Y., class of 1980, Fordham College, Bronx, N.Y., class of 1984 (final rank 3/605), Columbia University School of law, class of 1987.

Qualifications for office: Legal, compliance and risk abatement and audit specialist with expertise in the rules governing investments, the formulation of investment strategies and the tools necessary to conduct effective audits—two skills essential to any successful New York City comptroller.

Three goals I’d most want to accomplish during my first term: 1) Minimize taxpayer contributions to New York City pension fund payments by effectively investing the New York City pension funds in appropriate and sound investments. 2) Complete the first thorough and comprehensive fiscal audit of the New York City Department of Education. 3) Eliminate $300 million in fees paid by the city to so-called “outside experts” hired to “assist” the comptroller in managing New York City pension funds.

Why I am a better choice than my opponent: I am not a career politician, I have no interest in running for mayor and will not use the office as a stepping-stone to higher citywide office. I am not beholden to special interest groups, such as the Working Families Party and ACORN and, as such, I will make decisions using my private-sector expertise with a goal toward safeguarding New York City taxpayer funds.

Public Advocate

Bill de Blasio, Democrat

Educational background: bachelor’s degree from New York University; master’s in international and public affairs from Columbia University.

Qualifications for office: As a Council member, I have been a dedicated advocate for New Yorkers, keeping government accountable and defending our right to full participation in the democratic process. Whether advocating for parents and children as a school board member, exercising tough oversight over the city’s child welfare and homeless services as chair of the Council’s General Welfare Committee, or leading the effort to oppose the mayor’s term limits law, I’ve never shied away from a tough fight or making tough choices.
Throughout my career in public life, I’ve gotten results for New Yorkers. I’ve found that this takes persistence, creative thinking and the ability to assemble broad coalitions of support—qualities New Yorkers should demand of their public advocate.

Three goals I’d most want to accomplish during my first term: 1) Education: increasing parent engagement in public schools. 2) Reforming the Civilian Complaint Review Board: improving civilian oversight and restoring public confidence. 3) Affordable housing: promoting the creation of affordable housing through the land-use process and organizing communities around development projects.

Why I am a better choice than my opponent: My priorities as public advocate will reflect my values: a belief in efficient and transparent government, dedication to helping New Yorkers and the willingness to make hard choices. The job of the public advocate is, most fundamentally, that of a watchdog—ensuring that all New Yorkers receive the city services they deserve and have a voice in shaping the policies of their government. Through exercising the specific powers of the public advocate’s office and my position as an independent, citywide leader, I will advance key issues and advocate for New Yorkers each day.

Alex Zablocki, Republican

Educational background: I am a proud product of the New York City public school system and I earned a bachelor’s in finance and investments from the Zicklin School of Business at Baruch College in Manhattan.

Qualifications for office: For more than six years I have worked in city and state government, serving as director of land use and chief of staff for City Council district 51 from 2003-2006, and as district director for State Senate district 24 since 2007. As director of land use, I successfully worked with civic associations and numerous city agencies on eight rezoning applications to fight overdevelopment. In both the Senate and Council, I have worked with residents to fight for better city services, more funding for community-based programs and schools, housing, traffic solutions and more mass transit options. Since 2001, I have owned and operated a small business, and in 2007, I obtained a financial services license (Series 7).

Three goals I’d most want to accomplish during my first term: 1) Decentralize the office and work closely with all community boards to bring local issues to City Hall, giving all residents a seat at the table. 2) Work with local groups and community boards to look at zoning and traffic/transportation problems and bring forth solutions. 3) Use the duties of the public advocate to hold government accountable, make it more transparent and fight to make our city more affordable to live, work and start a business in.

Why I am a better choice than my opponent: I am not a cookie-cutter politician and will bring extensive government, small business and financial experience to the public advocate’s office. Unlike my opponent, I am not supported by special interests and I’m not a political insider. I am one of you, your neighbor and your friend, and I understand how important it is to have an independent voice in government. My plan for office can be found at alex2009.com/plan.

City Council District 6

Roughly covers the Upper West Side from West 56th to 96th streets

Incumbent: Gale Brewer, Democrat

Educational background: M.P.A, Kennedy School, Harvard University; B.A., Columbia University and Bennington College

Qualifications for office: I’ve represented the 6th district for eight years. My terrific staff and I have assisted thousands of constituents: saving people’s homes, creating jobs, protecting our quality of life, and writing laws to make government more open. After 40 years as a West Sider, and three decades in public service, the private sector, non-profits and Community Board 7, I know the diversity of the West Side and how to represent it.

Three goals I’d most want to accomplish during my next term: 1) Reduce school overcrowding and offer students more choice in middle and high schools; 2) Protect our affordable housing, require it in many new buildings and stop illegal hotels that take units off the market; 3) Preserve and bring back neighborhood mom-and-pop stores.

How I voted on term limits and why: I voted against it, and supported a ballot referendum to let the public decide. The vote was 29-22; I was in the minority. New Yorkers had made their views clear in two referendums and should have been given the chance to do so again. I have always believed, however, that a 12-year term makes a Council Member a more effective representative. You need that long to complete large and complex projects like the multi-million dollar renovations of St. Agnes Library, 59th Street Recreation Center, Harmony Atrium and the new Frank McCourt High School. In large part I am running for a third term to finish what I’ve started, and bring these projects to fruition.

Challenger: Joshua Goldberg, Republican

Educational background: Pace University (1986-1990) with a double major in journalism and political science. I have a keen interest in history and politics in general and New York particularly. I like to say I am also a graduate of “Dad University.” My father, Sidney Goldberg, was brilliant with a steel-trap intellect and wit.

Qualifications for office: I am independent. I have funded my campaign only with individual contributions and have taken NO money from special interests, political action committees, unions or public matching funds. I have what some have called an “encyclopedic” knowledge of New York City history and politics. I am a lifelong Upper West Sider. I have held a number of quintessentially “New York jobs,” from working at the Fulton Fish Market, Yellow Cab, the New York Post’s “Page Six,” sales for the  New York Press and I am a licensed New York City tour guide. I have worked on several local campaigns, too. Also, I know intimately what it is like navigating the health care system in New York due to my wife’s chronic illness (sickle cell anemia.)

Three goals I’d most want to accomplish during my first term: 1) Get control of the budget and the wasteful, run-away spending. 2) Reform the way the Council does business by making the position of Council member a full-time job and eliminating non-profit political slush funds. 3) Take control of the subways from the MTA (Albany) and give it back to the city. New York needs to have control over its own transit system that is the life-blood of the local economy.

The incumbent’s biggest failing: Two things: her willingness to house dangerous felons and sex offenders in residential, family neighborhoods and her defiance of the public will by running for a third term even after she came out very strongly in favor of keeping term limits. She cynically voted to keep term limits while on the floor of the Council but acts in opposition to her record.

City Council District 9

Covers a sliver of the Upper West Side from Broadway to the Hudson River between West 96th and 110th streets

Incumbent: Inez Dickens, Democrat

Educational background: I am a product of the New York City public school system. I also studied urban development and land economics at New York University and Howard University.

Qualifications for office: For over 30 years, I have actively been involved with the political process. I believe that the power of the ballot can improve the quality of our lives and the environments in which we live. I volunteered in community service organizations before I was elected to office. During my first term in office, I focused on creating affordable housing opportunities and improving infrastructures of community service organizations, especially in the area of public health issues related to our children.

Three goals I’d most want to accomplish during my next term: 1) Create more affordable housing opportunities. 2) Improve access to financing for small business enterprises. 3) Jobs and job training programs for young people (emancipated youth) and adults, along with educational enrichment programs for our children.

How I voted on term limits and why: I voted to extend term limits because I have always been against term limits. I believe in the power of the vote, and that is how you can exercise term limits. Furthermore, I believe that term limits disenfranchise people of color, as term limits can prevent people of color in office from attaining seniority and significant leadership positions.

Challenger: Abbi Lee Rogers-Haff, Republican

Educational background: University of Hard Knocks, New York, N.Y., business management and administration, accountancy, marketing.

Qualifications for office: Entrepreneur experience: negotiate government and corporate contracts to promote sales, eliminate competition and the bid process; write proposals and opportunity to bid according to rules, regulations and government codes of law. White-collar undercover investigator for national clothing manufacturer—became consultant to create a system of checks and balances to prevent embezzlement and theft. Professional experience: national general manager for the United States division of an international company based in the United Kingdom. Real estate building manager responsible for 50 exclusive residential buildings, Douglas, Elliman Gibbons & Ives.

Three goals I’d most want to accomplish during my first term: I propose to “follow the money” and regulate wasteful spending by the Council for purposes that are self-serving, special-interest and a conflict-of-interest. Power to the people! I will serve the district full time as City Councilwoman, attend community meetings and create a system of communication between the community and Council to represent my constituents in an efficient manner. Review proposed affordable housing to be income-targeted, based on median income in the district, with a percentage of affordable professional/retail space allocated to small businesses in the district at a reduced lease amount. This concept will deter the displacement of residents and small businesses.

The incumbent’s biggest failing: Councilwoman Inez Dickens does not represent the residents of District 9. Councilwoman Dickens voted against her constituents, in favor of extending term limits to Mayor Bloomberg, and in favor of the 125th Street rezoning plan. In addition, the Council budgeted $600,000 for the Metropolitan NY Coordinating Council on Jewish Poverty, Councilwoman Dickens budgeted $100,000 in her name only, and $5,000 for the Harlem Little League.

As we mentioned back in September, the key to governing the city at this critical juncture is nursing a more diverse economy back to health while maintaining and building on the gains of recent years in education, business, public safety and the vibrant culture that defines New York City. We think Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who is running as a Republican and Independent, is best qualified for this job.

Throughout the past eight years, Bloomberg has advanced ambitious plans to overhaul the largest public school system in the country, mitigate traffic and congestion, increase and improve green space, foster arts and culture and rezone the city to fit the residential and business needs of tomorrow—all while driving crime to record lows and keeping a vigilant eye on a terrorist threat that still lingers. His goal has been to enhance New York City’s best attributes to make it a place where people want to live, do business and visit. A keen businessman, the mayor understands that these three goals are inextricably linked, and he has the foresight and drive to make them all priorities. We strongly endorse him for re-election.

Comptroller: John Liu

During the primary, we found Democrat John Liu to be an estimable candidate who had both bold ideas for the office and the financial know-how to tackle its fiscal responsibilities. His Republican opponent, Joe Mendola, certainly has the right background for the job, but he is so focused on painting Liu as a political insider that he hasn’t articulated a clear vision for the office. Liu will surely bring the same tenacity to the comptroller’s duties as he does to City Council committee hearings, and we endorse him for the general election.

Public Advocate: Bill de Blasio

We found Democrat Bill de Blasio to have the most far-reaching vision for this office, and the most detailed plans for executing that vision on a shoestring budget. We hope he can leverage the public advocate’s meager resources
by working with organizations like Transportation Alternatives and the Brennan Center for Justice, at New York University Law School. His Republican opponent, Alex Zablocki, simply doesn’t have the same innovative ideas for making the most of this citywide ombudsman office. We endorse de Blasio for public advocate.

Manhattan District Attorney: Cy Vance

We were highly impressed with all three candidates running for the Democratic nomination for Manhattan District Attorney this September. Cy Vance, who won the primary and is running unopposed in the general election, plans to develop a community-based justice model to better attack problems such as domestic violence and discrimination against immigrants. He has also promised to tackle the criminal court backlog and form special units for mental health issues and hate crimes. The Manhattan district attorney’s office is the most important prosecutorial body in the country, and we have no doubt that Vance will build upon the impressive work of longtime D.A. Robert Morgenthau. We enthusiastically endorse Vance for Manhattan D.A.

Manhattan Borough President: Scott Stringer

If anyone has put to rest calls to abolish the office of borough president, it’s Democrat Scott Stringer. While the City Charter does sketch out rather limited powers for this position—issuing advisory opinions on large developments, appointing community board members and making assignments to various boards—Stringer has squeezed every ounce of productivity out of this role. He’s brought an unwavering spotlight to classroom crowding problems, come up with concrete ways to help preserve small businesses and made greening the city and healthy eating top priorities. His Republican opponent, David Casavis, is running to abolish the office altogether; we suspect he just lacks imagination. Stringer gets our wholehearted support.

City Council District 4: Dan Garodnick

During his four years in office, Democrat Dan Garodnick has shown that he’s a rising star in city government. He’s given Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village tenants a strong voice during turbulent times, and he won key concessions for the East River Realty project. We endorse him for re-election.

City Council District 5: Jessica Lappin

Jessica Lappin, a Democrat, learned this district inside and out while serving as chief of staff to her predecessor, Council Speaker Gifford Miller. She’s led the fight for safer crane operation and has worked tirelessly to get funding for three new waterfront parks. We endorse her for re-election.

Joe Mendola

Republican Running for City Comptroller
The city comptroller has to manage an $80 billion pension fund for retirees and taxpayers—which makes it key for the person to be independent, says Joe Mendola.

In the past, the city’s chief financial officers have used the office to pave the way for a mayoral bid, Mendola notes, which means the fiscal interests of New Yorkers are not a top priority.

“If you’re managing pension funds and using the office as a stepping stone, you’ll use those funds to placate interest groups,” he said.

Like most Republicans running for office this November, one quality Mendola touts is his independence from interest groups and not being a career politician.

He criticized his Democratic opponent, Queens Council Member John Liu, for being a political insider who will use the comptroller’s office to repay campaign favors from special interest groups. Liu, like his predecessors, will only use the office as a springboard to Gracie Mansion, Mendola argues.

“If you take politics out of the office, I can make investments based solely on what’s responsible,” he said.

A lifelong Democrat who lives in Greenwich Village, Mendola registered as a Republican right before the November 2008 elections. He said he felt more comfortable with Republicans on fiscal issues and called the federal stimulus package a “waste of taxpayer money.”

Professionally, Mendola is a compliance officer who makes sure that investments are in line with regulation. That experience means he is the only qualified candidate running for the office, he says.

“I know the [Securities and Exchange Commission] laws. I know the funds my company invests in comply with the rules,” he said. “I have the skills the comptroller needs.”

If elected, Mendola said he would increase transparency by posting investment returns online, as well as the names of outside consultants that are used in the office.

“We need to bring accountability and transparency to the system,” he said.

Mendola also wants to aggressively audit city agencies and examine the use of outside contractors.

“They’ve got to go in there with a fine tooth comb and make sure we’re getting our money’s worth,” he said. “The system needs to be cleansed, needs to be reformed.”

Alex Zablocki

Republican Running for Public Advocate
When Alex Zablocki meets a voter who has no clue what the public advocate is, he hands them a business card detailing the position. For the record, the public advocate is an ombudsman, an independent check on City Hall who fields citizens’ complaints.

Zablocki, who at 26 is the youngest person to run for this office, wants the public advocate to be more community oriented. He would open a satellite office in every borough, plus one in northern Manhattan, and promises to be an active member of Council committees.

“The outer boroughs need a voice, someone that will stand up for regular people,” he said.

Zablocki is a Staten Islander and aide to his local state senator, Andrew Lanza, a Republican. Though Zablocki is socially liberal, he is opposed to onerous regulations that he says hurt small business. He criticized City Council bills that impose paid sick leave, require most restaurants to post calorie information and fine stores for leaving the door open while air conditioning is in use.

“All of these things are burdensome on small business at the wrong time,” he said. “The City Council should be looking at making it easier for small businesses to open.”

If elected, Zablocki wants reform the office that was created in 1993, even taking away some of its power. He wants to strip the public advocate from being next in line for mayor, but give the office some teeth by arming the public advocate with subpoena power.

While the public advocate is thought to be a thorn in the side of the mayor, Zablocki also wants to be a check on the Democratic-dominated Council that currently includes his opponent, Democrat Bill de Blasio.

“He also comes from the same City Council that I feel needs to be held accountable,” Zablocki said of de Blasio. “I think we need a voice that will be completely independent from City Council.”

David Casavis

Republican Running for Manhattan Borough President
The slogan for David Casavis’ borough president campaign is “David Can-Save-Us.” And what he wants to save us from is the borough presidency itself.

Casavis, an Upper East Sider, is running for a position that he feels is a useless piece of bureaucracy and a waste of taxpayer money.

The borough presidents, who used to sit on the Board of Estimate, once held great sway over land use and budgetary matters. But in 1989, the Supreme Court ruled that the Board of Estimate gave too much power to less populous boroughs and diverted most of the borough presidents’ authority to the City Council.

“It is a vestigial organ. It’s left over,” Casavis said. “It’s only the bully pulpit.”

His opponent, incumbent Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, might disagree. Wielding policy papers and studies, Stringer has been able to squeeze power out of an office that has little official responsibility. According to the City Charter, the borough president must give an advisory opinion on large developments before they go to the City Planning Commission, appoint half of the borough’s community board members and make appointments to various boards, including those that govern city planning and pension funds.

Casavis, however, sees the borough presidency differently.

“Your job is to keep your face in the camera,” he said.

A Manhattan Republican Party foot soldier, Casavis says he wants to be elected so he can start dismantling the office, ultimately saving the city $60 million. Instead of hiring staff, he would hire lawyers to devise a plan to end the borough presidency, likely through a charter commission.

Though other Republican borough president candidates are rejecting Casavis’ manifesto, he says GOP candidates for City Council are heeding his call. Better yet, voters are open to the idea.

“If I talk to every single voter, I could win with 75 percent. This is enormous, this is universal,” Casavis said. “Everybody I speak with, even people who are loyal Democrats, say, ‘What does the borough president do?’”

If Casavis loses his race, he hopes to continue his crusade. For only a dollar, he would serve on the charter commission to fight against the borough presidency.

Joshua Goldberg

Republican Running for City Council District 6

Republicans will always have an incredibly difficult time running a race in the very progressive Upper West Side—Joshua Goldberg, perhaps, even more so.

Goldberg’s brother Jonah is the conservative writer who authored Liberal Fascism: The Secret History of the American Left from Mussolini to the Politics of Meaning. His mother, Lucianne, convinced Linda Tripp to record her conversations with Monica Lewinsky, which almost brought down President Bill Clinton during his impeachment.

Goldberg, however, says that he never adopted that brand of conservatism.

“I tend to be more moderate than the rest of my family,” he said.

Goldberg, a former double-decker bus tour guide who currently manages his mother’s news website, entered the race at the behest of local Republican district leaders.

“This year there is a big opportunity here,” Goldberg said. “Firstly, people are really upset with the Council knuckling under and taking away term limits without the voters’ consent.”

Though his opponent, incumbent Council Member Gale Brewer, voted against the term limits extension bill, Goldberg criticized her for waiting until the last minute to make her position known. He also knocked Brewer for running for a third term after she voted against the term limit extension legislation.

Other than that vote, though, Goldberg respects Brewer as a public servant and lauded her constituent services operation. In this heavily Democratic district, Brewer is all but assured to be re-elected.

“Believe me, I know this is a quixotic quest, so to speak,” Goldberg said. “I am under no illusions to what I’m up against.”

But he is running to give residents in the district—which roughly covers the Upper West Side from West 56th to 96th streets—a choice between the incumbent and a candidate who will bring down taxes and spending.

Goldberg considers cracking 20 percent of the vote a victory for fiscal responsibility.

“If somebody is concerned about taxes and runaway spending in the city, they should vote for me as opposed to Gale Brewer,” Goldberg said.

Abbi Lee Rogers

Republican Running for City Council District 9
Abbi Lee Rogers has a laundry list of complaints against her Democratic opponent, Council Member Inez Dickens, who represents District 9.

Topping her list of grievances is Dickens’ support for extending term limits; Rogers would have preferred a public referendum to determine any changes to the term limits law.

Next on the complaint list would be the controversial rezoning of 125th Street in Harlem, which Dickens supported and helped shape. Rogers feels the new rezoning plan will drastically change the neighborhood and displace residents.

“I don’t like the fact that 125th Street was rezoned against the will of the people,” she said.

If elected, Rogers said she wants to reallocate discretionary money—known as member items—to organizations that specifically serve the Harlem district. While Dickens has showered money on her district, Rogers feels there are some organizations outside of Harlem that have benefited from the incumbent’s largesse.

“I don’t like the politics in Harlem and I don’t like the politics in the City Council,” she said.

The district covers a sliver of the Upper West Side from Broadway to the Hudson River between West 96th and 110th streets.

Rogers, a fifth-generation Harlemite and second vice president of the Harlem Republican Club, has business and administrative experience as the former head of the United States division of furniture manufacturer Arenson International, which is based in the United Kingdom. She has also managed 50 co-op buildings in Manhattan.

When it comes to education, Rogers wants the cap on charter schools to be lifted and criticized Dickens for limiting their growth.

“If charter schools are succeeding, why are we stifling them?” she said.

Still, she is running an uphill battle in this Democratic district to make a stand against the usual politics in Harlem.

“I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired and watching it go by year after year,” Rogers said.

Larry Penner
Great Neck, Long Island

Letters have been edited for clarity, style and brevity.

Before the primary, we weighed in on both these contests; we still stand by those choices and reiterate them here to readers, who we hope will go to the polls on Sept. 29 to cast their vote in these important races.

Comptroller
The comptroller can be seen as C.F.O. of the city, responsible for making sure that budgets are tight and inefficiencies are pinpointed. But we also need more than a bean-counting bureaucrat. That’s why we feel New Yorkers should vote for Brooklyn Council Member David Yassky as the city’s next comptroller.

Yassky showed independence by being the only candidate to endorse legislation that will create a new level of pension benefits for future retirees, with the goal of reducing taxpayer costs. He understands the need to have a diverse portfolio that will protect the pensioners and taxpayers when the economy suffers. (Full disclosure: Yassky’s campaign rents separate office space from this newspaper’s parent company, Manhattan Media.)

His opponent, Queens Council Member John Liu, will surely bring the same tenacity to the comptroller’s duties as he does to Council committee hearings, but we’re concerned he’ll be too focused on using the office as a bully pulpit. Yassky is a well-rounded candidate who can balance experience with leadership, and we endorse him in the run-off for comptroller.

Public Advocate
Brooklyn Council Member Bill de Blasio has the most far-reaching vision for the public advocate’s office, and the most detailed plans for executing that vision on a shoestring budget. De Blasio plans to leverage the public advocate’s meager resources by working with organizations like Transportation Alternatives and the Brennan Center for Justice, at New York University Law School. Through the office’s appointee to the City Planning Commission, he pledges to be an aggressive watchdog on development.

There are, however, a few reservations about his candidacy. If elected, he’ll be tasked with policing the large swath of elected officials and unions that have endorsed his bid for office; we hope this doesn’t make him too cozy to be an effective independent check on city government. And we feel that de Blasio should be more proactive in addressing the questionable services provided to his campaign by the Working Families Party and its for-profit company, Data Field Services.

Mark Green, his opponent, did a commendable job as New York’s first public advocate. But he seems too focused on the past to enact a forward-looking agenda. De Blasio strikes us as the candidate most ready to hit the ground running in January, and we endorse him in the run-off for public advocate.

Public advocate hopefuls Mark Green and Council Member Bill de Blasio will face each other. In an upset, de Blasio bested Green, the former public advocate who is trying to reclaim his seat, by a margin of 32 percent to 30 percent.

On the East Side, Green’s main base of support, de Blasio edged out his rival by 385 votes.

Council Member Eric Gioia and civil rights attorney Norman Siegel received 18 percent and 14 percent of the total vote, respectively.

Green, with wide name recognition, was expected to be in the lead, but de Blasio, who enjoys immense union support, pulled ahead. Green is trying to paint de Blasio as a political insider, tying him to the Council’s slush fund scandal. Green said that de Blasio doled out taxpayer money to nonprofits, which then donated the money back to his campaign.

For his part, de Blasio has criticized Green for being absent from city issues since he left office in 2001, after failing to beat Bloomberg in the mayor’s race that year.

For comptroller, Council members John Liu and David Yassky will face off again in the Sept. 29 run-off. Liu nearly avoided a run-off with 38 percent of the vote. Yassky, from Brooklyn, came in second with 31 percent.

Yassky was the clear favorite on the East Side, receiving 7,668 votes. East Siders’ second choice, Melinda Katz, got 3,359. When Katz failed to make it to the run-off, she endorsed Yassky.

Overall Katz got 20 percent of the city’s vote and Council Member David Weprin came in last place with 11 percent.

Liu, from Queens, is seeking to be the first Asian-American elected to citywide office. He has strong union support, including the labor-backed Working Families Party, and he is popular among minority voters. Weprin also threw his support to Liu.

While running third in the polls, Yassky leapt to second place after key endorsements from the New York Times, the Daily News and his former boss, Sen. Chuck Schumer. Yassky has pulled support from his home borough of Brooklyn and Manhattan’s liberal base.

“We’ve had a great first phase of the campaign, and now we’re going to make it count by building on our momentum over the next two weeks,” Yassky wrote in an email to supporters.

Moments after the polls closed, the general election between Thompson and Mayor Michael Bloomberg began, with both candidates lobbing blistering attacks at each other.

Thompson reiterated his claim that Bloomberg favors the wealthy, and that he overturned the will of the voters with his extension of the city’s two-term limit for local office holders. Using the slogan, “Eight is Enough,” the Democratic mayoral nominee began soliciting $8 donations.

Though Bloomberg was unopposed for the Republican nomination, he held a lavish party along the Hudson River in Manhattan. There, the mayor slammed “politics as usual,” which is part of his new ad slogan, “Progress. Not Politics.”

One sign that the mayor might not be a shoo-in for re-election were the results of several City Council elections. Backlash to the term-limit extension appeared to play a role in ousting four incumbents, with two more hanging on by a handful of votes, certain for a recount. Nearly all of the Council members who survived contentious races received less than half of the total vote. Even Council Speaker Christine Quinn only received 52 percent of the vote against two spirited challengers.

“Even though few voters voted, the ones who did spoke loud and clear in turning out and voting against incumbents,” said Dick Dadey, executive director of the good-government group, Citizens Union. “That is a loud shout to the city’s elected leadership.”

The biggest winner in Manhattan on primary night was Cy Vance, who is all but assured to be Manhattan’s next district attorney, with no Republican running for that seat. With 44 percent of the vote, Vance beat 2005 candidate Leslie Crocker Snyder and newcomer Richard Aborn.

In the East Side’s District 4, two Republicans faced off for the right to go against Council Member Dan Garodnick—an uphill battle, considering the incumbent’s popularity and the district’s Democratic lean. Ashok Chandra, a native Texan and member of the New York Young Republican Club, beat the Manhattan Republican Party’s candidate, Neal D’Alessio, 477 to 239.

“My campaign has brought a lot of people out of the woodwork; Young Republicans who in the past haven’t been Republicans. They’re very conservative about fiscal issues,” Chandra said in an interview before the primary.

Moments after the polls closed, the general election between Thompson and Mayor Michael Bloomberg began, with both candidates lobbing blistering attacks at each other.

Thompson reiterated his claim that Bloomberg favors the wealthy, and that he overturned the will of the voters with his extension of the city’s two-term limit for local office holders. Using the slogan, “Eight is Enough,” the Democratic mayoral nominee began soliciting $8 donations.

Though Bloomberg was unopposed for the Republican nomination, he held a lavish party along the Hudson River in Manhattan. There, the mayor slammed “politics as usual,” which is part of his new ad slogan, “Progress. Not Politics.”

One sign that the mayor might not be a shoe-in for re-election were the results of several City Council. Backlash to the term-limit extension appeared to play a role in ousting four incumbents, with two more hanging on by a handful of votes, certain for a recount. Nearly all of the Council members who survived contentious races received less than half of the total vote. Even Council Speaker Christine Quinn only received 52 percent of the vote against two spirited challengers.

“Even though few voters voted, the ones who did spoke loud and clear in turning out and voting against incumbents,” said Dick Dadey, executive director of the good-government group, Citizens Union. “That is a loud shout to the city’s elected leadership.”

The biggest winner in Manhattan on primary night was Cy Vance, who is all but assured to be Manhattan’s next district attorney, with no Republican running for that seat. With 44 percent of the vote, Vance beat 2005 candidate Leslie Crocker Snyder and newcomer Richard Aborn.
The nail-biter primary races were for public advocate and comptroller, and no candidate broached the 40 percent mark needed to avoid a run-off. The top two contenders in each race will now face each other in a run-off election on Sept. 29.

Public advocate hopefuls Mark Green and Council Member Bill de Blasio will face each other. In an upset, de Blasio bested Green, the former public advocate who is trying to reclaim his seat, by a margin of 32 percent to 30 percent.

Council Member Eric Gioia and civil rights attorney Norman Siegel received 18 percent and 14 percent of the vote, respectively.

Green, with wide name recognition, was expected to be in the lead, but de Blasio, who enjoys immense union support, pulled ahead. Green is trying to paint de Blasio as a political insider, tying him to the Council’s slush fund scandal. Green said that de Blasio doled out taxpayer money to nonprofits, which then donated the money back to his campaign.

For his part, de Blasio has criticized Green for being absent from city issues since he left office in 2001, after failing to beat Bloomberg in the mayor’s race that year.

For comptroller, Council members John Liu and David Yassky will face off again in the Sept. 29 run-off. Liu nearly avoided a run-off with 38 percent of the vote. Yassky, from Brooklyn, came in second with 31 percent.

Queens Council member Melinda Katz got 20 percent of the vote and David Weprin, also a Queens Council member, came in last place with 11 percent.

Liu, from Queens, is seeking to be the first Asian-American elected to citywide office. He has strong union support, including the labor-backed Working Families Party, and is popular among minority voters.

While running third in the polls, Yassky leapt to second place after key endorsements from the ITAL New York Times ITAL, the ITAL Daily News ITAL and his former boss, Sen. Chuck Schumer. Yassky has pulled support from his home borough of Brooklyn and Manhattan’s liberal base.

“We’ve had a great first phase of the campaign, and now we’re going to make it count by building on our momentum over the next two weeks,” Yassky wrote in an e-mail to supporters.

In the East Side’s District 4, two Republicans faced off for the right to go against Council Member Dan Garodnick—an uphill battle, considering the incumbent’s popularity and the district’s Democratic lean. Ashok Chandra, a native Texan and member of the New York Young Republican Club, beat the Manhattan Republican Party’s candidate, Neal, D’Alessio, 477 to 239.

“My campaign has brought a lot of people out of the woodwork; Young Republicans who in the past haven’t been Republicans. They’re very conservative about fiscal issues,” Chandra said in an interview before the primary.

Tony Avella

Mayor
If going against Mayor Michael Bloomberg is considered a long shot for Comptroller William Thompson, then Council Member Tony Avella is the longest of shots. Avella, from Queens, has spent most of his Council career as a firebrand who often casts the lone-dissenting vote on legislation. He wants to empower community boards to take a greater role in local development, pledges to increase the involvement of parents and teachers in education policy making and supports commercial rent control.

William Thompson

Mayor
When most prominent Democrats declined to take on Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Comptroller William Thompson was the last one standing, facing only Avella, a long-shot aspirant, in the primary. As comptroller, Thompson’s alternative investment strategies helped cushion the pension fund when the economy collapsed. He knocks the mayor for being overly focused on Wall Street and real estate, a strategy that he says has harmed the middle class, and he promises to diversify. He would create an independent body to study student progress, and wants to mitigate the taxes, fees and fines that he says burden small businesses.

Melinda Katz

Comptroller
In the City Council, Melinda Katz chairs the powerful Land Use Committee, which oversees all development projects that need zoning changes. That has helped her raise campaign cash from real estate interests, but Katz says she has also pushed for affordable housing, fair labor wages and buildings that fit within a community’s context. Before her Council election, she worked in the Queens borough president’s office and she was a State Assembly member. As comptroller, Katz promises to invest a portion of pension funds in successful but debt-strapped companies that do business in New York, to help spur local job creation.

John Liu

Comptroller
John Liu is a reserved City Council member from Queens, but he also has a reputation for being a pit bull during committee hearings. As chair of the Transportation Committee, he claims to be the first elected official to discover the now-infamous “two sets of books” the MTA was using. Liu promises to use his tenacity when auditing city agencies, which the comptroller must do every four years. He also wants to audit and track stimulus funds coming to the city. On pensions, Liu wants to return to traditional, low-risk, low-yield investment strategies.

David Weprin

Comptroller
David Weprin wants voters to understand that he knows the buck. The Queens Council member chairs the Finance Committee, which must pass the city’s budget. He was also Gov. Mario Cuomo’s state superintendent on banking. His position in the Council has baggage, as he was partly blamed for not catching the slush fund scandal sooner. Nonetheless, he is touting his experience and his willingness to stand up to the mayor when appropriate, as he did when opposing the term-limit extension. Weprin plans to open satellite comptroller offices that would focus on financial literacy and assistance programs.

David Yassky

Comptroller
In a field of comptroller candidates from Queens, David Yassky is the lone Brooklynite. He is also the only candidate who supports the creation of a new level of pension benefits that would ease the city’s budget woes, but that remains unpopular with unions. Yassky points to his record in the City Council, where he worked to eliminate waste in the Housing Department, assisted in closing a tax loophole used by luxury developers and supported creating gas-electric hybrid taxis. He promises to invest a small portion of pension funds into biotechnology companies and increase transparency; during the campaign, he put the city’s budget online, at www.ItsYourMoneyNYC.com.

Bill de Blasio

Public Advocate
Council Member Bill de Blasio became Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s chief antagonist during the fight to extend term limits. The successful extension ruined de Blasio’s plans to run for Brooklyn borough president, but he found a spot in the public advocate’s race. He was quickly endorsed by most of the city’s elected officials. As the city’s ombudsman, de Blasio said he would stand up to a powerful mayor when necessary and promises to work collaboratively with other elected officials to get results.

Eric Gioia

Public Advocate
This two-term Queens Council member built a network of support from unions and young professionals, winning his first term without the backing of the borough’s Democratic organization. Gioia is capitalizing on this “outsider” status in his bid to be the city’s ombudsman and is touting his effective use of publicity to drive policy change. In 2007, he went on food stamps for a week, then pushed for legislation that would put applications online. He says he will continue working to improve schools, fighting for economic justice and holding government accountable.

Mark Green

Public Advocate
Voters may remember Mark Green as the city’s first public advocate who served during the Giuliani years, when he sued the mayor for withholding information on racial profiling and police misconduct, and he served as a general foil to many administration policies. He promises to continue that “aggressive progressive” platform, standing up to City Hall and helping government better serve New Yorkers. Since his unsuccessful bid for mayor in 2001, he has been president of Air America Radio, the liberal talk radio network that was owned by his real estate mogul brother, Stephen.

Norman Siegel

Public Advocate
This is civil rights lawyer Norman Siegel’s third bid for public advocate, following his unsuccessful challenge of incumbent Betsy Gotbaum in 2005. Siegel, who says the public advocate needs to be visible, a big mouth and a fighter, points to his record representing groups like the 2004 Republican National Convention protestors and West Harlem tenants in their battle against Columbia University. He plans to recruit hundreds of volunteers to be “surrogate public advocates” in each community, and create an “Institute of Advocacy” to help New Yorkers make themselves heard.

Richard Aborn

Manhattan District Attorney
Richard Aborn, a former assistant district attorney under Robert Morgenthau, stormed into the district attorney race as a dark-horse candidate. Yet his campaign has gained momentum after most of the borough’s elected officials, including Rep. Jerrold Nadler, endorsed his campaign. A gun-control advocate who was behind the federal assault weapons ban and the Brady Bill, Aborn is running on a platform of providing alternatives to incarceration, rehabilitation for nonviolent offenders and expanding the use of technology in the office.

Leslie Crocker Snyder

Manhattan District Attorney
This year, Leslie Crocker Snyder is mounting her second attempt to be Manhattan’s top prosecutor. In 2005, the former State Supreme Court judge ran against incumbent Robert Morgenthau, who had been in office since 1974. Snyder, a former assistant district attorney, was the first woman to prosecute homicides, founded Manhattan’s Sex Crimes Bureau and co-authored the Rape Shield Law. As district attorney, she would create a Second Look Bureau to address wrongful convictions and connect prosecutors to local law enforcement, civic and religious groups.

Cyrus Vance, Jr.

Manhattan District Attorney
Retiring prosecutor Robert Morgenthau chose Cy Vance, his former assistant district attorney, to be his successor. Vance, the son of President Jimmy Carter’s secretary of state, has been a defense lawyer in Seattle, Wash. for most of his career, litigating white collar crimes at a national firm. He plans to develop a community-based justice model in neighborhoods to better attack problems such as domestic violence and discrimination against immigrants. If elected, Vance would tackle the criminal court backlog and form special units for mental health issues and hate crimes.

Readers should note that for two of these offices (comptroller and public advocate), the winner from a field of four candidates needs to get 40 percent of the vote. That means that if no one broaches the 40 percent mark—a very likely occurrence—there will be a Sept. 29 run-off election between the top two contenders, prolonging the politicking.

Mayor: Michael Bloomberg

The general election for mayor isn’t until Nov. 3, but since the Democratic primary will determine nearly all of the most hotly contested races this year, we are including our choice for the city’s chief executive officer with this slate of candidates.

New York City is at a pivotal point in its history. While the city is arguably the most livable it’s ever been, fallout from the imploding financial sector and real estate industry still lingers, despite some initial signs of improvement. The key at this critical juncture is nursing a more diverse economy back to health while maintaining and building on the gains of recent years in education, business, public safety and the vibrant culture that defines New York City. We think Mayor Michael Bloomberg is best qualified for this job.

Throughout the past eight years, Bloomberg has advanced ambitious plans to overhaul the largest public school system in the country, mitigate traffic and congestion, increase and improve green space, foster arts and culture and rezone the city to fit the residential and business needs of tomorrow—all while driving crime to record lows, and keeping a vigilant eye on a terrorist threat that still lingers. We’re impressed with the caliber of staffers Bloomberg has trusted to enact this agenda, and the record he’s shown in working amicably with City Council Speaker Christine Quinn. It’s a refreshing change from the past, one that engenders a climate of productivity, rather than political squabbling.

But what’s most compelling about this mayor is the overall vision orienting these initiatives: his goal is to enhance New York City’s best attributes to make it a place where people want to live, do business and visit. A keen businessman, the mayor understands that these three goals are inextricably linked, and he has the foresight and drive to make them all priorities.

Certainly, Bloomberg’s record has not been perfect. The administration’s focus on teacher quality and blind support of residential development has left classrooms at overcapacity and kindergartners on wait-lists for zoned schools. This was a problem that many saw coming several years ago, and the Department of Education should not have had to scramble to find seats.

Likewise, we think he could do more to help small businesses. Bloomberg’s “Business Solution Centers” assist entrepreneurs with networking, cost cutting and navigating city regulations. He asserts that the biggest help the city can provide is to create a climate that attracts more customers. But this shies away from what’s really hurting mom-and-pops: skyrocketing rents. A more aggressive approach using carrots and sticks, like zoning changes and tax incentives, is worth exploring. And Bloomberg’s suggestion, during our endorsement interview, that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority be responsible for aiding businesses hurt by Second Avenue subway construction is unreasonable, given that agency’s reputation for dysfunction. The city, state and MTA should collaborate to share the financial burden.

But these are flaws in a record that has, on the whole, been bold, inventive and overwhelmingly successful. We’d like to see Bloomberg both build on these accomplishments and address these shortcomings in a third term, leaving a legacy of perhaps one of New York’s greatest mayors.

One issue we have not addressed here is the mayor’s successful bid to change the term limits law. We came out in favor of this proposal, as we thought it was important to have the leadership of a talented incumbent during these economically challenging times. Bloomberg himself has stated that if voters disagree with his actions, the Nov. 3 election is their chance to weigh in. Certainly William C. Thompson is an estimable candidate. But during his successful tenure as city comptroller, he has often been in alignment with the mayor, and there are few major points of difference between the two candidates.

We feel that Bloomberg is the right leader for the next four years, and we support his reelection on Nov. 3.

Comptroller: David Yassky

The comptroller can be seen as C.F.O. of the city, responsible for making sure that budgets are tight and inefficiencies are pinpointed. In this economy, New Yorkers need a comptroller who will audit city agencies, kill contracts that waste money, propose a wise pension fund investment strategy and be a leading voice on transparency and government reform. But we also need more than a bean-counting bureaucrat.

That’s why we feel New Yorkers should vote for Brooklyn Council Member David Yassky as the city’s next comptroller. Yassky showed independence by being the only candidate to endorse legislation that will create a new level of pension benefits for future retirees, with the goal of reducing taxpayer costs. This is the kind of leadership that the future comptroller must exhibit to help the city get through the recession. (Full disclosure: Yassky’s campaign rents separate office space from this newspaper’s parent company, Manhattan Media.)

Yassky has an evenhanded approach to managing the city’s $83 billion pension fund. He understands the need to have a diverse portfolio that will protect the pensioners and taxpayers when the economy suffers. His idea to invest in biotechnological companies as an alternative is not reckless, like some of his opponents’ plans.

Yassky’s campaign also posted the city’s budget and member items on a website, www.ItsYourMoneyNYC.com. While this information is already online, it is buried in the Council’s website and has never been presented in a format that regular New Yorkers can read easily and understand.

The other three candidates—Queens Council members John Liu, David Weprin and Melinda Katz—are qualified. Katz has too many connections to the real estate industry, and her plan to use pension funds to invest in viable but debt-strapped businesses is irresponsible. Liu will surely bring the same tenacity to the comptroller’s duties as he does to Council committee hearings, but we’re concerned he’ll be too focused on using the office as a bully pulpit. Weprin, though he has the financial expertise, lacks a broader vision for the office.

Yassky is a well-rounded candidate who can balance experience with leadership, and we endorse him in the Democratic primary for comptroller.

Public Advocate: Bill de Blasio

Each of the candidates running for this office brings something to the table when it comes to being the city’s ombudsman. But Brooklyn Council Member Bill de Blasio has the most far-reaching vision for this office, and the most detailed plans for executing that vision on a shoestring budget.

De Blasio plans to leverage the public advocate’s meager resources by working with organizations like Transportation Alternatives and the Brennan Center for Justice, at New York University Law School. Through the public advocate’s appointee to the City Planning Commission, he pledges to be an aggressive watchdog on development, making sure that affordable housing, landmarks and neighborhood context are given adequate consideration in the approval process. We also like his promise to examine the “consultant” culture at the Department of Education, as well as the proliferation of testing under Schools Chancellor Joel Klein’s leadership.

The other candidates in this race certainly have their attractive qualities. Mark Green, New York’s first public advocate, has a long and distinguished record of challenging the powers that be, but he seems too focused on the past to enact a forward-looking agenda. Norman Siegel likewise has an impressive resume as a civil rights lawyer, but he has run a lackluster campaign and we aren’t convinced that he will most effectively execute the public advocate’s duties. And Queens Council Member Eric Gioia has become an effective and vocal advocate for constituents, but we feel he’s spending too much time touting his history, rather than detailing his plans for office.

There are, however, a few reservations about de Blasio’s candidacy. If elected, he’ll be tasked with policing the large swath of elected officials and unions that have endorsed his bid for office; we hope this doesn’t make him too cozy to be an effective independent check on city government. And we feel that de Blasio should be more proactive in addressing the questionable services provided to his campaign by the Working Families Party and its for-profit company, Data Field Services (a series of stories in our sister publication, City Hall, highlighted some serious questions).

Still, de Blasio strikes us as the candidate most ready to hit the ground running in January, and we endorse him in the Democratic primary for public advocate.

Manhattan District Attorney: Leslie Crocker Snyder

This year’s race to be Manhattan district attorney is a historic one. The winner will succeed Robert Morgenthau, the legendary prosecutor who was sworn into office in 1974.

The Manhattan district attorney’s office is the most important prosecutorial body in the country. It has far-reaching jurisdiction that has successfully tried complex white-collar crimes, international crime, governmental fraud and violent murderers and attacks. The district attorney needs experience in trying such cases, as well as the vision and management skills necessary to prevent and target criminal activity.

All three candidates—Leslie Crocker Snyder, Cyrus Vance, Jr. and Richard Aborn—are well qualified. They have detailed similar plans for the office, including implementing a community-based justice system, improving technology in the office and minimizing and addressing wrongful convictions. But we feel that Snyder has the experience and drive to follow through with these plans while being an able prosecutor.

Snyder has varied and lengthy experience as an assistant district attorney, defense lawyer and a judge in New York State’s Supreme and Criminal courts.

In 2005, she had the courage to challenge Morgenthau in the Democratic primary. The move was potential political suicide, and we endorsed Morgenthau in that race, but we feel that her courage to take on such a popular figure and highlight the office’s flaws demonstrates the kind of gumption that Manhattan’s next D.A. needs.

With a three-decade-long background in criminal justice, we feel confident in her plans to open a Second Look Bureau to prevent and rectify wrongful convictions, train assistant district attorneys to better prosecute white-collar crimes and manage one of the largest criminal justice offices in the country.

Her opponents are also qualified for the position. Vance is an able prosecutor, but we are concerned that his ties to Morgenthau—his biggest supporter—would not be broken. Aborn’s work on gun-control laws and crime prevention are exemplary, but his ideas are lofty.

We are concerned about the negative tone Snyder has brought to the campaign in recent weeks, as the district attorney needs to show public restraint. But we feel that once elected, Snyder will be a fair-minded and tough prosecutor. We endorse Snyder in the Democratic primary for Manhattan district attorney.

City Council District 3: Christine Quinn

Traditionally an area of Manhattan known for progressive politics, especially involving gay and lesbian issues, City Council’s District 3 has also seen record development and improvement of services. Although some constituents feel incumbent Christine Quinn is detached from the daily issues affecting the West Village, Chelsea and Hell’s Kitchen due to her duties as City Council Speaker, we feel that Quinn has served her district well, using her considerable clout to negotiate and broker deals that have benefited the area. While Quinn can appear too-closely aligned with the mayor these days, she is not afraid to come out against him in vocal ways and we feel she remains the strongest advocate for her district, as well as the city as a whole. We still see a great many positives in Quinn’s time in office. She remains one of the most powerful voices in New York politics and her activism continues; Quinn has spent a great deal of time lobbying for marriage equality with State Senators. Since it appears Bloomberg’s hope for a lasting legacy rests in West Side development—both with the Hudson Yards and extension of the No. 7 train line—we want Quinn to weigh-in on these issues. We admire the achievements of the two women who have challenged her in the race, especially Yetta Kurland, whom we hope to see run for office again. We feel that Christine Quinn’s pragmatism and skills will serve her district and the city best at this critical juncture, and we endorse her for re-election.

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In the interest of full disclosure, readers should also know that earlier this year, Manhattan Media—the parent company of Manhattan Newspaper Group, publishers of Our Town, West Side Spirit, New York Press, Chelsea Clinton News and The Westsider—formed a separate company called Madison Square Partners, LLC. Clients of this ad placement consulting firm include the campaigns of Michael Bloomberg, Norman Siegel, Cyrus Vance, Jr. and David Weprin.
In order to separate the business interests of Madison Square Partners, any individuals involved with that division were not included in the endorsement process. Endorsement decisions were based on candidates’ records, proposals and on-site interviews conducted collectively by the editorial board of the Manhattan Newspaper Group.