By Heather Grossmann
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
Raise your hand if you're aware of Tuesday’s primary runoff.
If you’ve got a hand up, congratulations. You’re one of the less-than-10 percent of New York Democrats that a Quinnipiac Poll said are expected to decide who will be the next public advocate and comptroller.
The low voter turnout is likely attributed to poor name recognition and a lack of familiarity with the offices being elected. An Aug. 26 poll found that aside from public advocate candidate Mark Green—a former Democratic nominee for mayor—69 to 83 percent of New Yorkers said they don't know enough about the candidates in either race to form an opinion on them. The same poll had "Undecided" winning the comptroller race with 45 percent of the vote.
Two candidates for each seat are scrambling for the meager votes.
The public advocate race features former mayoral contender and public advocate Mark Green against Brooklyn City Councilman Bill de Blasio. Green's backed by the Daily News, Robert Kennedy Jr. and activist Gloria Steinem. De Blasio’s endorsements include the New York Times, former Mayor Ed Koch and current Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum.
Green held a comfortable lead at the outset of the campaign and was still polling at 38 percent to de Blasio’s 15 percent in an August Quinnipiac Poll.
But by primary day, the two were neck-and-neck. The Brooklyn councilman eked out a lead over Green, winning 33 percent to Green’s 31 percent. New York City election laws dictate that there must be a runoff if no candidate captures 40 percent or more of the vote.
A Quinnipiac Poll released last week found the candidates polling evenly, each with 46 percent of the vote. The same poll predicted the dismal turnout.
In the comptroller race, Quinnipiac says Queens Councilman John Liu has a 6 percent lead over Brooklyn City Councilman David Yassky.
Liu received endorsements from former Mayor David Dinkins, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and 32BJ SEIU, the powerful labor union. Yassky won the endorsements of the New York Times, the Daily News and the New York Post, as well as Sen. Chuck Schumer.
Both pairs of candidates faced off in debates last week, exchanging the harshest words yet in what had been largely civil campaigns.
Yassky accused Liu of making misleading claims in his ads, and Liu went after Yassky for flip-flopping on term limits.
In the public advocate debate, Green blasted de Blasio for accepting money from groups he steered city funds too, and de Blasio called Green a negative campaigner who was losing his relevance.
After the dismal voter turnout for the Sept. 15 primary—11 percent of New Yorkers hit the polls—expectations for tomorrow are even lower.
Yom Kippur has slowed the frantic campaigning that usually precedes an election, but the New York Times reported that both Liu and de Blasio will make brief appearance during the day. Full on campaigning is expected to resume after sundown.
