Queens Borough President Helen Marshall. (Photo: Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)

Queens Borough President Helen Marshall holds one of the most prominent elected offices in Queens. But the 83-year-old lawmaker was apparently unaware until yesterday that John Liu was running for mayor.

During the Queens Democratic Party's endorsement event Monday, a reporter for a Chinese-language newspaper asked Ms. Marshall if she was disappointed the county hadn't backed Mr. Liu, who lives in the borough and used to represent it on the City Council. (They backed City Council Speaker Christine Quinn instead.)

According to a source who witnessed the conversation, an article in The China Press and an interview with the reporter who interviewed the borough president, Ms. Marshall appeared confused by the question.

Well, he's facing opposition in his re-election campaign for comptroller, Ms. Marshall reportedly answered. City Councilwoman Karen Koslowitz, who was standing near Ms. Marshall, leaned over to explain to her that Mr. Liu is actually running for mayor--prompting surprise.

Oh, I like him, I don't know why we didn't endorse him, then, Ms. Marshall reportedly replied.

Asked about the exchange on Tuesday, Dan Andrews, Ms. Marshall's spokesman, said the borough president was well aware of Mr. Liu's candidacy and didn't recall the conversation.

“She may have misspoken, thinking he is currently the comptroller," Mr. Andrews said. “I think that’s all it is.”

Ms. Marshall, who was elected in 2001 after serving in the City Council and the New York State Assembly, has just one year left in her final term. But some observers have raised questions about her muted activity. Colleagues described Ms. Marshall as increasingly absent-minded, sometimes repeating herself and forgetting things.

“It’s been getting worse over time,” observed one Queens Democratic source, who said this fall's election can't come soon enough. “I think she’s winding down a long political career and is less engaged in the job than she used to be," said another.

Others were less forgiving. "Nothing against Helen personally, but for several years she's been a couple miles past out to lunch," a Queens insider quipped. "On a good day."

The Daily News reported in April that Ms. Marshall, who gets paid $160,000 a year, has been increasing absent from her office and took off more than 40 days in 2012. She was reportedly off duty for much of the summer, in addition to numerous Mondays and Fridays throughout the year. According to the New York Post, she spends much of her time in the Hamptons and caring for her ailing husband.

Mr. Andrews dismissed the concerns as well as Ms. Marshall's absences.

“I would say that she’s [nearly] 84 years old," he said, noting that she only has another seven months left until her final term is up. "It’s another seven months and she’s doing the job .... I think what has to be done, she does."

The Barack Obama Democrat Club of Upper Manhattan. (Photo: www.obamadems.org)

Upper Manhattan's Barack Obama Democratic Club voted last night on its endorsements, and the list might surprise you. The home club of City Councilman Robert Jackson and City Council candidate Mark Levine, a long-time ally of State Sen. Adriano Espaillat, gave its nods to Public Advocate Bill de Blasio for mayor and City Councilwoman Letitia James for public advocate.

It also voted to endorse Mr. Jackson for Manhattan borough president and--unsurprisingly--Mr. Levine for the 7th District council seat, currently held by the term-limited Mr. Jackson.

The endorsements were all decisive, except for the mayor's race, which required an instant run-off vote. There, Mr. de Blasio beat out second-place finisher, City Comptroller John Liu, 39-18. Former Congressman Anthony Weiner, who is expected to jump into the race any moment now, also garnered two votes (versus six for former City Comptroller Bill Thompson, the only African-American in the race, and eight for City Council Speaker and earl front-runner Christine Quinn.)

Mr. Levine, who has long been a player in Uptown politics, was previously endorsed by Mr. de Blasio, who has had a long-standing relationship with the club, whose members hail from the largely black and Hispanic neighborhoods of Washington Heights, West Harlem, Hamilton Heights and Inwood.

"When the vote was announced last night, Bill de Blasio said, 'T'his is a huge step forward.' The club membership clearly agrees," club spokesman Alex Luis Castex-Porter said. "Tonight we backed him, and many other qualified, progressive candidates. The Barack Obama Democratic Club of Upper Manhattan is looking forward to working with our endorsed candidates to ensure that New York City sees strong, progressive leadership in 2014."

Mr. Jackson is currently fighting a tough battle for borough president against several well-connected candidates, including former Lower Manhattan community board chair Julie Menin. Mr. Espaillat, City Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez and other uptown leaders have endorsed Ms. Menin. (Mr. Jackson infuriated Mr. Espaillat last year when the councilman backed his challenger and long-time rival, ex-Assemblyman Guillermo Linares, who had made a failed play for Mr. Espaillat's senate seat.)

But despite what sources described as Ms. Menin's aggressive attempts to court members, the club chose to endorse Mr. Jackson by a margin of more than 2-1.

Political club endorsements are not crucial, but are often cited by campaigns as signs of growing momentum and often help candidates collect petition signatures and mobilize voters.

Public Advocate Bill de Blasio. (Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Public Advocate Bill de Blasio's campaign for mayor got a significant boost Friday, with the endorsement of the city's largest union: 1199 SEIU.

It is the first major labor endorsement for Mr. de Blasio, who has been aggressively courting unions as he tries position himself as the "progressive alternative" to the race's early  front-runner, Council Speaker Christine Quinn.

Mr. de Blasio's campaign manager, Bill Hyers, heralded the endorsement as proof the campaign is gaining momentum, despite concerns from many supporters about the entree of former Congressman Anthony Weiner, who is expected to appeal to the same outer-borough, ethnic voters, and is expected to formally join the race in the coming day.

"Game-changing is a cliché in politics, but not when it comes to the mayoral endorsement of 1199 SEIU. Representing more than 250,000 members over five boroughs, no endorsement means more than this," Mr. Hyers said in a statement.

"Their support validates our belief that Bill de Blasio is THE PROGRESSIVE CHOICE for New York City Democrats -- and it confirms the strength of our effort," he continued. "Moreover, their members are some of the most politically active residents of New York City, deeply connected to and active in our communities, and they have pledged to dedicate thousands of volunteer hours for door-to-door canvassing, phone banking and rallies for our campaign.  We are honored to have their support."

The endorsement is a partial loss for Ms. Quinn, who many believed could have a shot with the group because some of staffing overlaps--although others have long expected them to go with Mr. de Blasio.

Here's a statement from 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East president George Gresham:

“The nurses and caregivers of 1199SEIU – New York City’s largest union with over 200,000 members throughout the five boroughs – have enthusiastically endorsed Bill de Blasio for mayor, because he is a principled champion of working people, and has the strongest vision for the future of our city, including good jobs, affordable housing, and quality education and healthcare for all. Our members are some of the most politically active residents of the city, we are deeply connected to our communities, and we intend to devote thousands of volunteer hours to door knocking, phone banking and building support. The elected leaders of our union voted unanimously to endorse Bill de Blasio because he has consistently stood side-by-side with caregivers for quality healthcare and issues that matter most to working families, and we will work passionately to ensure he is our next mayor of New York City," he said.

Peter Abbate (Photo: NYS Assembly)

Comptroller John Liu may be facing the scrutiny that comes with two associates being convicted of an attempted fraud scheme on his behalf, but his mayoral campaign is still plugging along. Indeed, Mr. Liu will be endorsed by Brooklyn Assemblyman Peter Abbate tomorrow morning, according to a Democratic operative with knowledge of the event.

The endorsement does make some sense. Mr. Abbate, the Chairman of the Assembly Committee on Governmental Employees, is a veteran legislator known for being a staunch backer of public employee unions--something for which Mr. Liu has also made a name for himself doing.

Additionally, Mr. Liu has particularly passionate support in the city's Asian American community and Mr. Abbate's district was redrawn to contain the heart of Brooklyn's Chinese constituencies in Sunset Park and Bensonhurst. He now represents one of just three Asian American-majority Assembly districts in the state.

According to the source, the announcement event will take place in front of the Amico Senior Citizens Center along 13th Avenue.

Mr. Liu has previously been endorsed by Councilmen Peter Koo and Charles Barron

Public Advocate Bill de Blasio. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

“Bill de Blasio has shown himself to be a real progressive candidate in the race, and we’re proud to endorse him today,” the club's president, Robin Forst, said in a statement. “From his commitment to universal early education to his continued efforts to pass a real living wage and comprehensive paid sick leave, Bill stands on the side of working families — and we look forward to helping him get elected this year.”

The race was an extremely close contest between Mr. de Blasio, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and City Comptroller John Liu, "with no less than five runoff votes," according to the club.

Mr. de Blasio, who has been trying to position himself as the progressive alternative to Christine Quinn, thanked the club for its nod in a statement.

“I’m running for mayor because we need someone committed to full economic equality in City Hall next year —and I’m honored to have the Lower Manhattan Democrats join our team on the campaign trail," he said.

The club, whose members are mainly from the 64th and 66th assembly districts, also endorsed State Sen. Daniel Squadron for public advocate, Julie Menin for Manhattan borough president and Scott Stringer, the current Manhattan borough president, for comptroller.

The Broadway Democrats. (Photo: broadwaydemocrats.org)

Members of the Broadway Democrats, one of the Upper West Side's most influential political clubs, are at odds over their endorsement of John Liu for mayor.

The club's endorsements process spun into minor chaos late last night when members were forced to complete their counting in the club's president's home. Then, early this morning, a member realized the club had miscounted the ballots because of a misinterpretation of the club's run-off procedures--forcing a re-count that gave the city's comptroller a victory.

"Some people are not accepting that and will be challenging that," said Curtis Arluck, the local assembly seat's male district leader, describing the fallout from the vote, which comes just over a week after Mr. Liu's former campaign treasurer and a top fundraiser were found guilty of campaign finance fraud.

The problems began around 10 p.m. when a longer-than-expected meeting forced club leadership to change locations and count the remaining ballots at club president Gretchen Borges' home.

During the club's first round of tallies, Mr. Liu received 31 votes, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn received 22, Mr. de Blasio 13 and former Comptroller Bill Thompson 4. Because no candidate received a majority, the club began an automatic run-off count, tallying voters' second and third-place choices to determine a victor.

But when the club was left with two finalists, City Council Speaker Christine and Mr. Liu, they stopped. Mr. Liu had the most, with 35 votes, but not the majority of the 71 cast he needed to win. The club determined it would make no endorsement for mayor in the race and members went to sleep.

But early in the morning, the clubs' Female District Leader, Liu supporter Paula Diamond Román, said she discovered they'd actually made a mistake. Per "Article VIII" of the club's constitution, the counters were supposed to have finished tallying up votes until they were left with a single candidate.

Members who were available--both Liu and non-Liu supporters--returned to Ms. Borges' house to continue counting. In the end, Mr. Liu came out with 42--or 59.2 percent. Of the 71 ballots, 29 offered no endorsement instead of choosing Ms. Quinn.

But the confusion left some members fuming and questioning whether the ballots could have been tampered with, leaders said.

"The process of having the votes here without anyone but me and the votes have left some people distraught that there’s an opportunity for mischief," said Ms. Borges, who said the district's assemblyman, Daniel O'Donnell, was especially upset.

But she and Ms. Diamond Román blamed the mix-up on innocent confusion over a new, complicated voting system that no one really understood.

"This is not our first choice of how this would have gone," she said.

Ms. Borges said she understood the concern from members and apologized for the snafu.

“It's not the deal way to do things. Yes, we should have known what we were doing before that night .... So there’s some culpability, no doubt about that."

Mr. Liu's campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

John Liu thanking the Three Parks Dems for their endorsement. (Photo: Jill Colvin)

City Comptroller John Liu's mayoral bid secured its first major endorsement last night following the convictions of his former campaign treasurer and a fund-raiser on fraud charges, giving him a symbolic victory as he seeks to soldier on in his electoral quest.

The Three Parks Independent Democrats, one of the Upper West Side's major political clubs, delivered its support to Mr. Liu, who has defiantly campaigned since verdicts while insisting he can still win.

The first round of voting at a youth hostel on 103rd Street produced a a near-tie, with 40 votes for Mr. Liu and 38 for Public Advocate Bill de Blasio. Of the remaining 94 votes, six went to former Comptroller Bill Thompson and only one went to City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, the race's early front-runner. Long-shot comedian Randy Credico got three.

The close tallies prompted a second round of voting, where Mr. Liu edged out Mr. de Blasio 45-29.

As the news spread, a beaming Mr. Liu embraced supporters and staffers, with hugs and congratulations. "Wow!" said one supporter. "We pulled it off!" another exclaimed.

"I'm speechless," Mr. Liu told the group in brief remarks after the voting. "Thank you from the bottom of my heart ... You placed your confidence in me ... Let me say that I apologize for the fact that being friends with me is not for the faint of heart."

Mr. Liu later told Politicker he thought the vote boded well for the campaign. "The members of this club are not only active, they're knowledgeable and they care about what's really important, which are the issues," he said.

Daniel Marks Cohen, a New York State Democratic committeeman and one of the club's leaders, said that Mr. Liu's supporters seemed unfazed by his legal woes less than a week after former treasurer Jia "Jenny" Hou and fund-raiser Xing Wu "Oliver" Pan were found guilty for their roles in a straw donor scheme on Mr. Liu's behalf. The comptroller himself has not been charged with any wrongdoing, and both plan to appeal.

"I guess in the end, maybe the Liu people had more passion," Mr. Cohen said of the results. "Surprisingly it didn't dampen the enthusiasm. I think the Liu supporters are true believers and they don't care."

Others pointed to Mr. Liu's a long-standing relationship with the club, which also endorsed him for comptroller four years ago. "They know him," said Bob Botfeld, a Democratic district leader who supports Mr. de Blasio.

Mr. Liu, who got a nod from the Democratic Organization of Richmond County Club in Staten Island last month, is also expected to do well tonight with the Broadway Democrats. District Leader Paula Diamond Román penned a letter with other members encouraging them to vote for him, describing Mr. Liu as the most progressive candidate in the race. “To me, he's a very brave, ethical, humble person who acts in a very progressive way, rather than just speaking in a progressive way," she said.

The Three Parks club also endorsed Upper West Side City Councilwoman Gale Brewer for Manhattan borough president, Brooklyn Councilwoman Letitia James for public advocate and an unopposed Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer for comptroller.

Mayoral candidate John Catsimaidis. (Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images)

The Liberal Party endorsed Republican John Catsimatidis as its mayoral candidate, party heads announced at a press conference Tuesday.

"John Catsimatidis understands history and respects the power of a successful Republican-Liberal Party fusion in New York City electoral politic,” party chair  Jack Olchin said in a statement. “In addition, John also understands the concerns and aspirations of all New Yorkers and we feel he will be a people's Mayor just like the first Republican-Liberal Party fusion Mayor, Fiorello LaGuardia in the 1940's.”

"A member of the Liberal Party recently described John Catsimatidis as an 'uncommon common man,' an individual who will speak to all New Yorkers in a language they understand; with a genuine feeling and concern for their well-being that will be recognized in every neighborhood in the city and by all of us who care about New York's present and future," he said.

Mr. Catsimatidis has been making the case that his status as a former Democrat and major fund-raiser for the party will help him lure Democratic voters who wouldn't otherwise vote for a GOP candidate. The Liberal Party endorsement helps bolster his case, giving Democrats the chance to vote for him without having to vote on the GOP line.

The party, however, boasts limited power. It was stripped of its ballot-status years ago, meaning that Mr. Catsimatidis will have to collect enough signatures for the party to even appear on this fall's ballot.

The party had previously endorsed long-shot Democrat-turned-Republican Tom Allon, who quickly dropped out of the race amid tepid support and fundraising.

“John will fill the void left by Tom Allon who was our standard bearer until his recent withdrawal from the race,” Liberal Party Executive Director Martin I. Hassner said in a statement. “The only thing we ask of John is that like Mr. Allon, he works to ensure that the Liberal Party has the signatures necessary to qualify for the November ballot.”

The Independence Party's endorsement was critical to Mayor Michael Bloomberg's 2009 bid.

Mr. Catsimatidis said in a statement: "I am proud to accept the nomination of the Liberal Party and with their support and the support of the Republican Party create the coalition needed to win in November."

Maria Cuomo Cole and Kenneth Cole. (Photo: Patrick McMullan)

Gov. Andrew Cuomo may have his eye on the White House, but it looks his sister may be gunning for the opposite team.

Mr. Cuomo’s sister, film producer Maria Cuomo-Cole, took to Twitter Friday morning to publicly support an EMILY’s List campaign to put a woman in the White House—a campaign that isn't shy about its support for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, widely considered Mr. Cuomo's biggest barrier to the Democratic nomination.

“In honor of my daughters, I'm supporting #MPOTUS. Help all of our daughters realize there is no limit to their dreams,” Ms. Cuomo-Cole tweeted, with a link to the group’s “Madam President” campaign.

“The 2012 election was a mandate for women's leadership. The country is ready for a woman president. And Madam President is ready to harness that energy to put the first woman in the White House. It's our time. And we're ready,” the group's website reads.

While the campaign is dedicating to electing female candidates generally, EMILY's List President Stephanie Schriock has made clear that Ms. Clinton is the obvious choice.

“I have to say, there is one name that seems to be getting mentioned more than others,” she told Politico.“We do not know if Hillary is going to run, but we are hopeful that she may.”

The group’s first ad also includes a scene featuring a woman who looks uncannily like Ms. Clinton being sworn into office.

It has long been speculated that Mr. Cuomo has been eyeing a run for the White House, but has been cautious about discussing his plans. This week he shot down a report that he has been telling confidants he is resigned to the fact that there's no way he can run if Ms. Clinton does.

“There is no truth to the assertion that I’m talking presidential politics and strategy and what Hillary Clinton should do or shouldn’t do or what I’m doing presidentially,” he said during a radio appearance.

“As you know, I go to great lengths not to engage in politics writ large, but especially not presidential politics,” he added. “Hillary Clinton is gonna do whatever Hillary Clinton’s going to do and I’m doing what I’m doing and I’m focusing on running this state and doing it the best I can. And that’s all there is to that."

Ms. Cuomo-Cole did not immediately respond to calls for comment.

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn unveiled a campaign app outside of the Midtown Apple store. (Photo: Jill Colvin)

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn laughed off suggestions Thursday that she had purposely scheduled a press conference to rain on an opponent's endorsement parade--the second time she's been accused of using the tactic in recent months.

“We should be so well-organized to figure everything out on that level!" said Ms. Quinn, bursting into awkward, raucous laughter when Politicker asked about the timing of her Thursday press conference unveiling a new mobile app for her campaign.

(Her cackle is a particularly well-known response mechanism in city politics.)

Ms. Quinn's campaign sent out a scheduling announcement for the event hours after former Comptroller Bill Thompson's campaign announced "a major endorsement of his plans to rebuild New York City's working class" at the same time outside of City Hall.

"Cynicism--apparently, there's an app for that," one political insider remarked on the timing.

But Ms. Quinn said the timing had nothing to do with Mr. Thompson, and that the event was simply fit in between a morning briefing on Mayor Michael Bloomberg's final executive budget speech and a City Council smoking hearing.

“It’s just a time that worked," she said.

Ms. Quinn was previously accused of stepping on an opponent's toes when she made a surprise announcement that the council would pass a bill reducing street vendor fines just as Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, her most vocal critic, was about to unveil a report on small business fines on the steps of City Hall.

“How convenient!” Mr. de Blasio told reporters sarcastically at the time, marveling at what he called “a stunning coincidence.” Ms. Quinn's council office insisted at the time it was.

For his part, Mr. Thompson tried to keep the focus on his own news: endorsements from Bronx Congressman José Serrano and his son, State Senator José Serrano.

"You're going to have to ask other people about their campaigns," he told Politicker when he took questions afterwards. "I just know that today, this is a great day for my campaign. This is a great day being able to stand with two very distinctive New Yorkers as we look to move New York City forward. We're not looking to divide. We're not responding to others."

Ms. Quinn, the early front-runner in the race, also brushed off suggestions Thursday that she has been scaling back her attendance at mayoral forums to avoid increasingly pointed attacks from her rivals.

“The only reason we weren’t able to attend last night or tonight was just because of other commitments, scheduling conflicts," she said, noting that she'd attended somewhere between 30 and 40 forums already and was committed to attending about a dozen more over the coming weeks.

“It’s been this way for a lot of candidates,” she said, adding that several of her opponents had missed events, too. “Just, unfortunately, sometimes the schedule precludes you to being everywhere and at every event."

Additional reporting by Colin Campbell.