Bloomberg endorses Maltese

With primary day in the rear view mirror, the attention will shift entirely to the general election, which means the spotlight will certainly increase on the 15th State Senate District race between Republican incumbent Serphin Maltese and Democratic City Councilman Joseph Addabbo.
Maltese, who is looking to retain his seat after a razor-thin victory over Albert Baldeo in 2006, recently received the backing of an influential and popular city official who Maltese often sparred with - Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Bloomberg’s endorsement comes as somewhat of a surprise because of a talked about feud between the two after Maltese backed Conservative Tom Ognibene over Bloomberg for Mayor in 2005. In addition, Bloomberg failed to endorse Maltese in his reelection bid in 2006, and the talk around the community was that Bloomberg was encouraging Addabbo to run against Maltese that year - something Addabbo ultimately declined to do.
However, two years later, Maltese is certainly welcoming the backing of the billionaire mayor in what is shaping up to be a hard-fought, close election.
“To receive the support of Mayor Bloomberg, who has done so much for this city, is quite an honor,” said Senator Maltese. “During his seven years in office, the mayor has set a bold vision for the city and accomplished most of the goals he set which including ensuring that our children have access to a top education and that our communities are safe for residents.”
Meanwhile, Addabbo, who officially received the Democratic nomination for the seat in Tuesday’s primary said that Bloomberg’s endorsement was not a surprise.
“It’s no secret that the mayor supports Senate Republicans,” said Addabbo spokesperson Alexis Grenell, who also said the mayor was a supporter of his own interests.