By Carlotta Mohamed
More than two dozen candidates have either declared or are exploring a run for the Office of Public Advocate in the upcoming citywide special election next month.
Attorney General-elect Letitia James stepped down as public advocate on Jan. 1 upon her inauguration to her new office. Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Saturday that a special election will take place Tuesday, Feb. 26.
“This date will help maximize voter turnout, and my administration will work around the clock to make sure every New Yorker is encouraged to exercise their right to vote,” said de Blasio.
The special election will be nonpartisan, followed by a partisan primary for another general election for the office in November. Each candidate must secure their own ballot lines by petition; parties may endorse a candidate, but they may not offer nominees.
The public advocate is the first in line to succeed the mayor and is the second highest ranking elected office in the city, according to advoc
The office serves as a direct link between New Yorkers and their government, acts as a “watchdog” over city agencies, and investigates complaints about city services. The public advocate is a non-voting member of the New York City Council with the right to introduce and co-sponsor legislation.
While the office is vacant, City Council Speaker Corey Johnson will oversee operations at the Public Advocate’s office.
Among the list of public advocate candidates, there are two Queens lawmakers who are vying for the seat: Democratic state Assemblyman Ron Kim from Flushing and Republican City Councilman Eric Ulrich of Ozone Park, both of whom announced their candidacies in December.
Kim’s campaign, People over Corporations, vowed to transform the Office of Public Advocate.
The state assemblyman, who represents the 40th district, has been an outspoken advocate against eliminating student debt in New York State and taxpayer subsidies to large corporations, such as Amazon’s $1.7 billion in grants and tax breaks to build its second headquarters in Long Island City.
At fund-raisers last week held by Chinese and Korean American supporters, Kim raised a total of $65,430 that includes matchable funds. More than 50 donors contributed $14,850, which resulted in $50,060 of matchable funds.
“I’m honored and thrilled to receive such tremendous support from the Asian-American communities all across our city, state, and country,” said Kim. “During my three terms in the Assembly, I stood up for all groups, especially immigrant and Asian-Americans, whenever they were excluded from critical policy decisions or when their needs were neglected.”
As public advocate, Ulrich — who represents the 32nd District and is the only Republican in the field — wants to cut property taxes, create more jobs and provide quality education to all children, according to his campaign letter.
Other candidates who are either declared or exploring a run for office include city council members, advocates, state assembly members, and others in the list below:
State Assemblyman Michael Blake – who represents parts of the Bronx
City Councilmembers Rafael Espinal and Jumaane Williams – who represent parts of Brooklyn
City Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez – who represents parts of Manhattan
Assemblymember Daniel O’Donnell – who represents parts of Manhattan
Assemblymember Latrice Walker – who represents parts of Brooklyn
Melissa Mark-Viverito – former speaker of the City Council
Non-lawmakers include:
Nomiki Konst – Journalist
David Eisenbach – Columbia University Professor
Dawn Smalls – A lawyer who previously worked in the Obama and Clinton administrations
Theo B. Chino – Entrepreneur, systems engineer
Ifeoma Ike – Political activist
Gwen Goodwin – Community activist and past city council candidate
Tony Herbert – Community activist and past candidate for public advocate in 2017
Benjamin Yee – Business owner, member of the Democratic state committee, and secretary for the Manhattan Democratic Party
Mike Zumbluskas – Former Chairman of the Manhattan Independence Party
Walter Iwachiw – Republican candidate for various offices such as mayor, state Assembly, CUNY Student Senator.
The winner of the Feb. 26 special election is only guaranteed to serve as public advocate for the remainder of the calendar year. New Yorkers will vote in November for a public advocate to serve the remainder of James’ term, which expires in 2021.
If you’re not registered to vote, visit the New York City Board of Elections website and sign up.
Reach reporter Carlotta Mohamed by e-mail at cmoha
