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Christine Quinn Outraises Fellow Mayoral Hopefuls for 2013 Race

By Jill Colvin | July 13, 2011 9:34am
Council speaker Christine Quinn, pictured at this year's Pride Parade.
Council speaker Christine Quinn, pictured at this year's Pride Parade.
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Paul Lomax

MANHATTAN — City Council Speaker Christine Quinn is leading the pack of 2013 mayoral hopefuls when it comes to securing campaign cash after former-Rep. Anthony Weiner's political meltdown.

The front-runner has raised a whopping $1.32 million in the past six months, bringing her total war chest to  $4 million, campaign consultant Mark Guma said.

Her total leaves the other expected contenders in the dust.

"We’re thrilled with where we got to,” said one source close to the campaign, who said the speaker is on track to be done with fundraising for the primary by the fall.

In second place is Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, who raised $655,000 over the past six months according to preliminary numbers released by his campaign. That brings his total pot to $2.7 million,  Campaign Finance Director Catherine Butler said.

Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, meanwhile, raised $675,000, bringing his campaign's total to date to $1.067 million, his financial director said.

Former City Comptroller Bill Thompson reportedly raised $250,000.

Aides for City Comptroller John Liu declined to comment on his earnings as of Tuesday.

The latest numbers must be officially filed with the city's Campaign Finance Board by Friday, July 15.

While the race is still two years off, the numbers serve as one of the first serious indicators of candidates' earning strength.

The race to take over from Mayor Michael Bloomberg after his third term ends was shaken up by the departure of Weiner, who had long-been considered a top contender for the job. The disgraced former City Councilman saw his prospects crumble in the wake of a sexting scandal that resulted in his official resignation from Congress last month.

Manhattan Media CEO Tom Allon, the founder of papers including City Hall  and The Capitol, has also thrown his hat into the ring. He told Crain's New York Business he hopes to raise between $500,000 and $1 million by January in a campaign that will emphasize education reform and job creation.

“I know this is an enormous leap, but I believe there's a yearning for a strong manager who's an education reformer," Allon, of the Upper West Side, told the paper.

Quinn, who is widely credited as the architect of a deal that helped save teaching jobs and keep fire companies and libraries open during the latest round of city budget negotiations, will be spending Wednesday on a victory lap celebrating the saved services.