New York city Comptroller William C. Thompson Jr. won the Democratic Party nomination for mayor of the Big Apple in the September 15 primary. He handily defeated NY City Councilman Tony Avella.

PEF endorsed Thompson in the race that will pit him against the incumbent mayor, billionaire Republican Michael Bloomberg, in the November 3 general election.

PEF also endorsed Albany Councilman Corey Ellis in his uphill bid to unseat fellow Democrat, Mayor Jerry Jennings.

Although Ellis lost the September primary race for the Democratic line on the November ballot, he trailed Jennings by just 1,644 votes, a far narrower margin than expected.

Ellis, who won seven of the city’s 15 wards in the Democratic primary, is expected to continue his campaign as a candidate on the Working Families Party line.

PEF’s endorsements of the two candidates were guided by the union’s political action committees: the Region 10 and 11 PACS in New York city, and the Region 8 PAC in Albany.

If you would like to volunteer to support one of these campaigns, call your regional PEF office or the PEF Legislative Office at (518) 432-4003.
– Sherry Halbrook