In what was a light turnout the results of yesterday's primary races are in, but will not be official for at least three weeks. For Democratic Mayor Bill DeBlasio ended the night slightly over the magical 40% line to win without having to go into a run off election, but there are still to many absentee and paper ballots that have to be counted which could place DeBlasio below that magical 40% line. If DeBlasio falls below 40% by even one vote he would be forced into a run off with Bill Thompson who finished second.
On the Republican side for Mayor Joe Lhota won, and should DeBlasio win on the Democratic side we might be seeing "No Holds Barred" in a Giuliani - Dinkins III rematch.
There will be a run off election for Public Advocate in three weeks on October 1st as none of the 5 candidates went over the magical (citywide only) 40% mark between Brooklyn State Senator Dan Squadron and Brooklyn Councilwoman Letitia James.
For City Comptroller Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer narrowly defeated former New York State Governor Eliot Spitzer.
Here in the Bronx, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. was an easy winner coming in with 84% of the vote. Incumbent Bronx City Council members in the 8th, 12th, 14th, 17th, & 18th districts all won, and 13th Councilman Jimmy Vacca did not have a primary. In the open Bronx council seats- 11th Andrew Cohen won by a better than 2 - 1 margin, 15th Ritchie Torres won with a little over 1/3 of the vote, and in the 16th 77th A.D. Assemblywoman Vanessa Gibson won with over 40% of the vote.
In the special election to fill the vacant 86th A.D. Victor Pachardo won with 22% of the vote, but by less than 65 votes (64 to be exact). It is expected (by me at least) that the winner of this race may not be determined by Thanksgiving or Christmas.
Here are past 11th City Councilwoman June Eisland, current 11th City Councilman Oliver Koppell, and in the middle the next 11th City Councilman Andrew Cohen.
Left - 11th council district primary winner Andrew Cohen goes over the long list of names he thanked in his win.
Right - One time 11th council district Democratic candidate Cheryl Keeling (right) stopped by to congratulate Cohen on his victory, poses with soon to be Councilman Andrew Cohen's wife Heather Erhard-Cohen. Keeling was knocked off the ballot by Cliff Stanton who ran against Cohen.
Lastly - A photo to remember if you are 87th A.D. Assemblyman Luis Sepulveda who went against the Bronx Democratic County organization to be the first Bronx elected official to publicly endorse Bill DeBlasio for Mayor. Sepulveda worked tirelessly for the Deblasio campaign turning his Parkchester political club into the Bronx Campaign headquarters for DeBlasio. Could we be seeing Assemblyman Sepulveda joining the DeBlasio administration?
