Betsy F. Gotbaum 156,829
Norman Siegel 105,976
Stephen DiBrienza 102,327
Willie Colon 101,393
Scott M. Stringer 99,904
Kathryn E. Freed 54,668
Sheila Flaxman 21,548
(Official Vote Count from the Board of Elections)
By Philip Lentz
Incumbent Mark
Green is term limited and running for mayor. While
the public advocate has few City Charter-required duties,
the office is second in line to become mayor and offers
its occupant free reign to attack or investigate any issue
he or she wants to illuminate. In other words, the public
advocate's post is a bully pulpit with limitless ways to
garner news coverage. Just look at what it has done for
Mark Green. No wonder the contest has attracted a crowd.
Under the Charter, the public advocate serves as the city's
ombudsman and as a sort of super-legislator-he or she presides
over the City Council and is free to introduce legislation
at any time. Not surprisingly, three of the five current
candidates are legislators.
The five announced candidates (all Democrats) are:
- Assemblyman Scott Stringer, a liberal from the Upper
West Side and protege of Rep.
Jerrold Nadler .
- Betsy Gotbaum, former parks commissioner under Mayor
David Dinkins and wife of former municipal labor leader
Victor Gotbaum.
- Councilman Steven DiBrienza, a liberal from Brooklyn
best known for jousting with Mayor
Mayor Rudolph Giuliani over homeless services and
other city services.
- Councilwoman Kathryn Freed, also a liberal, from the
Lower East Side of Manhattan.
- And civil liberties lawyer Norman Siegel, who made a
name for himself suing the mayor-usually successfully-for
government rights violations.
Handicapping this contest is difficult this early since
few of the candidates are known outside their immediate
neighborhoods.
Each candidate has some strengths. Stringer comes from
a strong political club and has a network of allies across
the city through his colleagues in the Assembly.
Gotbaum, who raised money for Dinkins' mayoral runs, is
a prodigious fund-raiser.
DiBrienza is the only non-Manhattan candidate. Geography
could help him.
Freed has been a strong advocate of lower Manhattan and
Chinatown. Residents will remember that come Election Day.
And Siegel has probably gotten his face on television more
than all of his opponents combined over the years as he
attended anti-Giuliani rallies and sued the mayor time after
time. Will voters remember the face when they get in the
voting booth?
But offsetting these strengths is a fundamental weakness
for each of the candidates-few people know who any of them
are. None has ever run for citywide (or even borough-wide)
offices and most voters will have quizzical look on their
faces when they get into the voting booth in the September
Democratic primary. That means money will be very important.
Stringer and Gotbaum have so far been the most successful
at raising money. (Check the
Campaign Finance Board Web site for each candidate's
filings.) Stringer had $640,823 as of Jan. 16; Gotbaum $686,602.
That will given them an edge in late summer when they try
to get their voices heard above the political din.
Siegel, through his high school buddy movie mogul David
Geffen, is lining up the support of Hollywood stars-names
like Woody Allen and Whoopi Goldberg and Barbra Streisand.
If he can persuade them to make an appearance or two with
him in September, that could help him grab some headlines.
Most likely, no candidate will attract 40 percent of the
vote and there will be a runoff between the two vote-getters.
Maybe then the public may pay attention. After all, the
winner will be a heartbeat away from Gracie Mansion.
Public Advocate Campaign Trail
10/12
Former Parks Commissioner Betsy Gotbaum decisively thumped civil liberties
attorney Norman Siegel in the Democratic runoff for public advocate, the
city's second-highest office. Gotbaum had a nearly 2-to-1 margin over
Siegel, based on a nearly complete vote count. With no Republican in the
Nov. 6 general election, Gotbaum is nearly certain to take office on New
Year's Day. (Newsday)
10/11
The New York Times has endorsed Betsy Gotbaum for public
advocate. (New
York Times)
The race for public advocate between Betsy Gotbaum and
Norman Siegel is considered too close to call. (Newsday)
10/5
The two candidates for public advocate clashed in a debate
last night, with Betsy Gotbaum stressing the velvet glove
and Norman Siegel the iron fist. In a spirited and substantive
encounter, Siegel said he would be an aggressive ombudsman
who would not be afraid to tangle with the mayor and other
officials on such issues such as making sure the pressure
for public security doesn't infringe on individual rights.
"I'm passionate, and I'll fight," he said, citing his experience
as a civil rights lawyer and outsider and dismissing Gotbaum
as "part of the [establishment] club." Gotbaum said she
would stress "the ombudswoman function" of the post but
would look to build public-private partnerships to get things
done rather than take issues to court. She praised Siegel
as a "brilliant lawyer" and civil rights champion, and added:
"He's there making noise. He has a big mouth, and thank
God for him. I think he should stay on the outside." (Daily
News)
10/4
Public advocate candidate Willie Colon, who came in fourth
in the Democratic primary according to unofficial tallies,
said he will ask the Justice Department to investigate alleged
voting irregularities. Tonight, the two top vote getters,
Betsy Gottbaum and Norman Siegel, who will face each other
in a runoff on October 11, will debate. Fifth place finisher
Scott Stringer said he would soon endorse either Gottbaum
or Siegel. (NY
Times)
10/3
The race for Public Advocate-never a focus of much attention
even before the world was turned upside down on September
11-has suddenly become a crucial contest. Created by the
city charter changes of 1993, the Public Advocate's office
has always been vaguely defined, with few concrete powers
other than making its occupant first in the line of succession.
It's a high-profile job with a small budget and no required
heavy lifting. But the Public Advocate's race has been overshadowed
at every step of the way; first by the mayoral and City
Council contests, then by the attack, and now by the wrenching
debate over Giuliani's demand to hold onto City Hall. But
if voters glossed over the differences between the Public
Advocate candidates before last week's primary, the players
now stand out in stark contrast. (Village
Voice)
9/29
In an unusual move, the city's Campaign Finance Board has
authorized runoff payments for all four eligible candidates
in the race for public advocate amid concerns that a clear
second-place finisher will not emerge until late next week.
It was the first time the board had paid more than two candidates
for a runoff, said Nicole A. Gordon, the board's executive
director. Betsy Gotbaum, who finished first in the primary
election, according to early unofficial returns, received
the highest payment, $303,270. City Councilman Stephen DiBrienza
was next, with $267,331, followed by State Assemblyman Scott
M. Stringer, with $237,673, and the civil liberties lawyer
Norman Siegel with $114,407. (New
York Times)
9/27
Betsy Gottbaum was clearly the number one vote getter in
the Democratic primary for public advocate. She won about
25 percent of the vote, far less than the 40 percent needed
to avoid a runoff. And who she will face in that runoff
remains unclear. Salsa performer Willie Colon, City Councilman
Stephen DiBrienza, civil liberties lawyer Norman Siegel
and Assemblyman Scott M. Stringer are all virtually tied
for second with about 16 percent of the vote each. (New
York Times)
9/25
The Times repeats its list of endorsements for the primary,
including Mark Green for mayor, Betsy Gotbaum for public
advocate, and William Thompson for comptroller, and borough-wide
and local races. (New
York Times)
The Daily News editorializes about voting, including a
repeat of its endorsements, which include Peter Vallone
for mayor in Democratic primary; Mike Bloomberg in Republican
primary, Betsy Gotbaum for public advocate, and Herb Berman
for comptroller. (Daily
News)
Newday's don't forget to vote editorial, plus reminders
of its choices: Alan Hevesi for mayor in Democratic primary,
Bloomberg in Republican; Stephen DiBrienza for public advocate,
and Herb Berman for comptroller. (Newsday)
New York Post endorsements: Peter Vallone (mayor), Scott
Stringer (public advocate),
Village Voice endorsements: Mark Green (mayor), Norman
Siegel (public advocate), Herb Berman (comptroller)
9/8
For the second time this week, a poll has Public Advocate Mark Green and Bronx Borough President Fernando Ferrer tied for the lead in Tuesday's Democratic primary for mayor - and the other candidates far behind. The Marist College poll, released yesterday, found 30 percent of likely Democratic voters backing Ferrer, to 29 percent for Green, 14 percent for Comptroller Alan Hevesi and 11 percent for Council Speaker Peter Vallone. When undecided voters were pressed to decide, Ferrer and Green were tied at 31 percent. The small sample of 334 voters and margin of error of plus or minus 5.5 percentage points raised questions about the poll's accuracy (Daily News)
9/7
Six of the seven Democratic candidates for public advocate yesterday
formally debated for the last time before Tuesday's primary, struggling to
distinguish themselves and even tossing a few genial barbs at each other in
what has otherwise been a relatively cordial contest. (New York Times)
By his account, Public Advocate Mark Green has brought so much to the
legislative table on a variety of issues, from campaign finance reform to
domestic violence to police misconduct, that he considers his actual job
description irrelevant. "If I had never been born," Mr. Green said in a
recent interview, "I believe we wouldn't have a four-to-one matching law, we
wouldn't have a gender discrimination law, we wouldn't have a carting law,
we wouldn't have a cigarette vending machine law, we wouldn't have a
domestic violence law."Mr. Green's position as public advocate has no
authority to pass laws and little sway over the City Council or the mayor.
But he argues that he has used his role as an official ombudsman to get
things done. (New York Times)
9/5
Daily News endorses Betsy Gotbaum for public advocate. (Daily News)
The Post endorses Scott Stringer for public advocate (NY Post)
9/4
The New York Times endorses Betsy Gotbaum for public advocate, saying in
part: "Given the amorphous nature of the job, New Yorkers should pick a
public advocate who is a self- starter and is capable of building programs
and focusing public attention on the dustier corners of city government.
Betsy Gotbaum best meets those criteria. As parks commissioner in the
Dinkins administration, she was ingenious at finding ways to protect the
parks and finance their programs at a time of terrible budget reductions.
More recently, as president of the New-York Historical Society, she
literally saved this city treasure from financial ruin, converting it into a
cultural gem. (NY Times)
9/3
Seven Democrats are vying to replace Mark Green as the public advocate
- the city's paid ombudsman, rabble-rouser and mayoral critic. For
savvy politicians - like Democratic mayoral hopeful Green - the
office is a ready-made soapbox. And the $150,000 salary isn't bad
either.But how do you capture the attention of a voting public barely
keeping its eyes open for a mayoral race? Television commercials.
And lots of them. (Daily
News)
8/20
In this most crowded of primary seasons, no major race is
shaping up to be more crowded than that for public advocate,
a position that has existed for less than a decade. But
even though so many candidates are aspiring to an office
that sometimes looks as if it involves little more than
needling the mayor, few New Yorkers seem to know or care
who any of the contenders are. (NY
Times)
The Public Advocate's office, though not well-defined,
gave the current incumbent, Mark Green, a platform for raising
his visibility and launching his campaign for mayor. The
winner of this year's election will automatically become
a major voice in the city's political discourse as well
as a potential candidate for higher office. Each of the
major candidates would reshape the public advocate's office
in ways that conform to his or her past experience. Stephen
DiBrienza, who is chairman of the council's General Welfare
Committee, sees the job as the city's "chief of research
and development." He would use the office's legislative
role-the public advocate presides over the City Council-to
investigate systemic problems in city government. Betsy
Gotbaum, who has served under three mayors, wants to expand
the public advocate's ombudsman role so that she can work
with the new mayor and other city officials "to make
government work better." Norman Siegel, who ran the
New York Civil Liberties Union for 15 years, wants to turn
the office into a combination of an inspector general's
office and a public interest law firm. He would send hundreds
of private lawyers working pro bono into housing projects
to listen to complaints. And Scott Stringer, who cut his
political teeth on Upper West Side politics, wants to use
the office as a "soapbox" for playing a role in
such issues as education, housing, transportation and planning.
Political observers say the contest will likely be decided
by TV ads and endorsements from unions, politicians and
especially newspapers, which are very influential in races
that get little attention. (Crain's
NY Business)
Crain's NY Business endorses Stephen DiBrienza for Public
Advocate, with Norman Siegel a close second. "Mr. DiBrienza
has spent 11 years on the City Council, including stints
heading important committees. He understands how the council
can work, and he promises to put most of his time into legislative
activities-holding hearings, introducing legislation, working
with the freshman legislators, shepherding bills. He outlines
his approach with energy, which offsets the temper he has
shown occasionally in clashes with the current administration."
(Crain's
NY Business)
7/05
Public advocate candidate Norman Siegel used Independence
Day to attack Mayor Giuliani for allegedly infringing on
New Yorkers' freedom of speech. "New York has, under his
administration, become increasingly authoritarian and repressive,"
said Siegel, former executive director of the New York Civil
Liberties Union. (Daily
News)
6/28/01
In the public advocate race, though, one union has made
its choice. District 37, which with 125,000 workers is the
city's largest municipal union, decided yesterday to back
City Councilmember Stephen DiBrienza. (Daily
News)
6/20/01
Public Advocate Mark Green charged yesterday that the mayor
and police commissioner tainted, subverted and undermined
the NYPD internal investigation of the four cops who fatally
shot Amadou Diallo. (Daily
News)
5/24/01
Night after night in New York City, fundraising events take
place, in people's apartments or slightly garish catering
halls. And whether the affairs are standard or eclectic,
they are all driven by the same desire: campaign cash. And
they are taking place with a frequency that politicians
and donors alike say is unprecedented in modern city politics.
City Councilwoman Kathryn E. Freed, a candidate for public
advocate, was entertained in Manhattan by more than 100
business owners and civic leaders at a lavish buffet at
the New Oriental Pearl Restaurant in Chinatown. (New York
Times)
4/09/01
Carol Butler who engineered Senator Debbie Stabenow's defeat
of incumbent Sen. Spencer Abraham of Michigan last fall
will run Steve DiBrienza's campaign for public advocate.
(Courier-Life
Newspapers, reprinted by Lambda Independent Democrats)
3/12/01
Siegel announces yet again for public advocate. (Daily
News)
2/27/01
Norman Siegel officially joins the race for Public Advocate.
He said he has raised about $240,000. Scott Stringer and
Betsy Gotbaum have each raised more than $650,000, and Stephen
DiBrienza and Kathryn Freed more than $350,000 (NY
Times) (Daily
News)
2/26/01
The race to fill Public Advocate Mark Green's shoes is shaping
up to be a surprisingly competitive, anyone-can-win contest
- for a $150,000-a-year job (first in line of succession
to the mayor) that critics say has no real power and should
be abolished. (NY
Post)
1/22/01
Among those who have so far contributed $187,523 to Norman
Siegel's run for public advocate are Woody Allen, Mel Brooks,
David Geffen, Steven Spielberg, Whoopi Goldberg and Barbra
Streisand. (Crains
NY)
1/17/01
Yesterday's deadline to file campaign finance statements
showed the following amounts raised by the candidates in
the race for Public Advocate: Assembly member Scott Stringer,
$427,134; former Parks Commissioner Betsy Gotbaum, $199,
317; Norman Siegel, who has taken a leave from his job as
head of the New York Civil Liberties Union, $187, 523; City
Councilmember Stephen DiBrienza, $89,313 (NY
Post)