Two weeks after the city primaries lit up the neighborhood with voters and aggressive campaigners, the runoff elections on Tuesday for public advocate and comptroller found many local poll sites relatively quiet.
And the results announced Tuesday night prove that voters had not changed their minds.
For comptroller, the race came down to Councilman David Yassky who earned 30 percent of the vote two weeks ago, and Councilman John Liu with 38 percent—just barely missing the 40 percent he needed to secure the win. This time around, Liu won with a definitive 55.55 percent majority.
For public advocate, Councilman Bill de Blasio and Mark Green dueled again on Tuesday after neither candidate reached the required 40 percent in the first primary. De Blasio took the lead again in the runoff, with a 62.5 percent advantage.
While talk on the streets two weeks ago was largely about low voter turnout, many candidates, campaigners, voters, and volunteers on Tuesday were in agreement that the runoffs were much, much worse.
“There is always a light turnout,” Jim Wetzel, the business agent for the Hotel Trades Council, said while campaigning on 97th Street this morning. “People don’t care.”
Local voter Carol Lapidus said, as she was leaving PS 163 after voting, “I believe this is one of the only ways we can exercise our voice,” adding her frustration that so few people took a minute out of the day to stop by the voting booths.
At the 109th Street site, Paula Diamond Román, a local Democratic district leader and member of the Broadway Democrats, said “A lot of people don’t even seem to know there is a runoff today.”
“I voted the other day,” one woman said to a campaigner. “I have to vote again?”
Though the Upper West Side scene was quiet, at 3 p.m. on 134th Street in Harlem, the streets filled with energy as Liu banded together with local political supporters state Sen. Bill Perkins and Councilman Robert Jackson stopping every passerby to court a vote for Liu.
“In my visions of the city, Liu is the perfect piece of the puzzle,” Perkins said in an interview, while continuing to shout “John Liu—here for you,” to passing pedestrians.
Perkins said that Liu in fact carried the “energy of Obama.” Perkins said he came out today to “make sure we get the best city comptroller ever. Not only that—we want to make history.”
One woman approached Liu and said, “You look better in person,” to which Liu replied, “Not only that. I can do the job.” Liu, Perkins, and Jackson then ran eastward to Malcolm X Boulevard, where they stopped pedestrians and even campaigned inside a few stores.
After Jackson took several photographs on his BlackBerry of Liu and Harlem residents—immediately e-mailing them to the supporters—Liu said in interview, “I’ve done everything I can. It is a beautiful day, and these are beautiful people. I’ve been through three boroughs, and the reactions have been great.”
Jackson expressed disappointment that Liu was not able to take the win two weeks ago. “We should’ve got him in last time. 38—he was so close to that 40.” He added, “I will be confident when we finish at the finish line.”
Others echoed Jackson’s frustration over the runoff process.
Joe Lawrence, the head coordinator at the 97th Street site who has worked there for nine consecutive years, said, “Runoffs are certainly unique to New York. A lot of people don’t understand what we are doing, and it is a waste of the city’s money, I think,” he said.
When asked what he thought about the runoff, Liu—who would have won two weeks ago if these rules weren’t in place—said, “Listen, I am out here having fun.”
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