PEF picks underdogs in NYC, Albany mayoral races

By SHERRY HALBROOK
PEF has endorsed two underdogs to be big-city top dogs.

On the recommendations of its local political action committees in New York and Albany, the PEF Executive Board in August endorsed Democratic challengers in the cities’ mayoral races.

William C. Thompson Jr., currently the NYC comptroller, was endorsed for mayor of the Big Apple, and Albany Councilman Corey Ellis was endorsed for mayor of the state’s capital. Both men are taking on powerful incumbents.

And both face Democratic primaries Tuesday, Sept. 15, for the right to appear on the Democratic line of the November 3 ballot.

Thompson aims to go up against billionaire incumbent Republican Michael Bloomberg in the November 3 general election, but, first, he is facing off against Tony Avella in the Democratic primary.

As New York city’s chief financial officer since January 1, 2002, Thompson safeguards the finances of the city and its five pension funds. He’s a former senior vice president at an investment bank.

Thompson began as a congressional aide and, later, was Brooklyn deputy burough president. In 1994, he became Brooklyn’s representative to the NYC Board of Education, where he served five terms as its president.

Ellis grew up in two of Albany’s most troubled neighborhoods, but went on to graduate from Fordham University. He began his career working for labor as a community organizer and in 2004 directed David Soares’ successful campaign for Albany County district attorney.

Fresh from that upset victory, Ellis ran on the Working Families Party line and defeated a 12-year incumbent in 2005 to join the Albany Common Council where he has called for reform. Now, Ellis is taking on mayoral incumbent Jerry Jennings in a city with an historically powerful Democratic political machine.

“Our PAC members in these two key cities of New York state are bucking the status quo and taking last year’s call for change at the national level to their own city halls,” said PEF Vice President Joe Fox, who chairs PEF’s statewide PAC. “They are going with the long shots and it’s important for all of our members who are eligible to vote in primaries to do so.

“The September 15 primary day falls during our PEF convention in Niagara Falls, so I urge all our delegates to find out if their party has a primary contest in their district. If it does, they should request and file absentee ballots.