By Jill Colvin 5/14 7:15pm

womp womp

Republican mayoral candidate George McDonald is trailing in the money race. (Photo: Facebook.com/McDonald2013)

George McDonald Vows to Stay in Race Despite Dismal Fund-Raising

Republican mayoral hopeful George McDonald vowed to soldier on after raising less than $4,000 in the latest filing period, raising serious questions about the viability of his campaign.

The Doe Fund founder brought in just $3,580 from March 12 through May 11, according to a campaign spokesman–a total that would be considered disappointing for even a City Council candidate, let alone someone campaigning citywide. That leaves Mr. McDonald with just $126,000 cash-on-hand–$125,000 of which came from a loan from the candidate himself. Read More

By Colin Campbell 5/14 3:57pm

Cash Money

Joe Lhota. (Photo: Getty)

Joe Lhota, Christine Quinn Continue to Rake in Cash

The foundations of any successful high-profile campaign usually include strong fund-raising operations, and the race to replace term-limited Mayor Michael Bloomberg is no exception. As tomorrow’s deadline approaches for candidates to release their quarterly fund-raising totals, most of the campaigns are claiming success.

Former MTA chair Joe Lhota for example, raised a healthy $558,000 for his bid. Read More

By Ross Barkan 5/14 2:30pm

Internet Intrigue

The internships section of the Pedro Alvarez website was identical to the section on the Ben Kallos website.

Bronx City Council Candidate Copies Manhattan Candidate’s Website

Ben Kallos, a candidate for City Council on the Upper East Side, was apparently offering campaign internships in the south Bronx.

That was according to the campaign website of Pedro Alvarez, a Bronx City Council candidate, which bore a striking resemblance to the website of Mr. Kallos. Under an “internships” section that was removed after Politicker contacted the Alvarez campaign, the text was identical to the Kallos site, even going as far as to mention Mr. Kallos several times. Read More

By Colin Campbell 5/14 1:46pm

Comebacks

David Paterson. (Photo: Getty)

David Paterson Hints at Congressional Campaign

Former Governor David Paterson, who took the state’s top executive post after Eliot Spitzer suddenly resigned amid a prostitution scandal, says he might not be done with politics just yet.

“I love public service. I love the people who do it,” Mr. Paterson answered this morning when asked whether he’d run for veteran Congressman Charlie Rangel’s seat if the incumbent retired. “I would listen to people.” Read More

By Colin Campbell 5/13 4:18pm

Supportin' Saujani

Reshma Saujani meeting with ASAAL's Bronx chapter. (Photo: Twitter/ASAAL08)

South Asian Group Rallies for Reshma

It’s not a surprise, but it’s a key part of Reshma Saujani’s strategy as she campaigns for public advocate this year.

The Alliance of South Asian-American Labor, a group that’s worked to mobilize South Asian voters in past elections, officially threw their support to Ms. Saujani today, vowing to help elect her as the city’s first official of South Asian descent. Read More

By Jill Colvin 5/13 3:49pm

Spare Some Change?

Adolfo Carrión Jr. (Photo: carrion2013.com)

Adolfo Carrión Raises Less Than $20,000 in Latest Period

Mayoral candidate Adolfo Carrión Jr. raised just $18,000 over the latest fundraising period, his campaign announced on Monday.

Mr. Carrión, who is running on the Independence Party ticket, still has more than $530,000 cash on-hand–enough to keep him in the race. But the total, raised from March 12 through May 11, is less than the numbers put up by many City Council candidates and is a sure a blow for the former Bronx Borough President’s bid for the top job in City Hall. Read More

By Colin Campbell 5/13 11:14am

Tish's Dish

Councilwoman James speaking at a rally. (Photo: Facebook)

Tish James Says ‘Story of Who I Am’ Is Her Pitch for Public Advocate

“It was very surreal,” Brooklyn City Councilwoman Letitia James said, reflecting on the moment her predecessor was assassinated. “When I got the news that he had been shot, I said, ‘I think I know who did it.’”

Othniel Askew wanted to run against Councilman James Davis. Instead, on a City Hall balcony in July of 2003, he drew a silver .40-caliber pistol and started shooting–killing Mr. Davis and setting events in motion that would place Ms. James in public office.

“The person who assassinated him visited me the night before,” Ms. James recalled, speaking with Politicker recently at a Manhattan campaign office. Read More

By Colin Campbell 5/10 3:08pm

Labor Day

The Working Families Party logo. (Photo: Facebook)

The Working Families Party’s Endorsement List

Last night, the labor-backed Working Families Party announced their support in a host of races across the city, beginning with Tish James for public advocate and working their way down to open-seat council campaigns.

The endorsement for Ms. James, a Brooklyn councilwoman, is particularly notable because, with a less sizable campaign war chest than her top rivals, Ms. James’ strategy relies on unifying union forces. There are two other citywide races this year, but without a strong labor consensus for mayor and a virtually uncontested race for comptroller, the public advocate competition is relatively unique. Read More