(Photo: Facebook)

Assemblyman Micah Kellner has maxed out.

In 53 days, Mr. Kellner, a candidate for Upper East Side Councilwoman Jessica Lappin's seat this year, has raised over $123,000 from over 440 donors, his campaign announced this morning. The total makes Mr. Kellner one of the strongest fundraisers in the city and effectively means he can't raise any more money for the decisive Democratic primary while accepting public matching funds.

"Over 225 in-district contributions, three times the 75 required to receive matching funds. Kellner’s disclosure highlighted strong community support across the district," his campaign noted. "Nearly $40,000 in matchable donations, almost eight times the $5,000 threshold needed to receive matching claims. Widespread support from grassroots donors and activists. 320 contributions were for $175 or less, the maximum contribution amount to receive a 6 to 1 match."

Mr. Kellner's main opponent, attorney Ben Kallos, raised about $43,000 last year but has yet to file his latest report since then. Attorney Ed Hartzog also has yet to provide his new numbers--due later today--but previously posted approximately $8,000. And college professor Hill Krishnan, a disco-dancing former Bollywood "bad guy," brings up the rear with $3,000.

Ms. Lappin is vacating her seat to run for Manhattan Borough President.

Micah Kellner (Photo: Facebook)

Upper East Side Assemblyman Micah Kellner's campaign for the City Council got a nice boost this morning with the official endorsements of the neighborhood's congresswoman, Carolyn Maloney, and the woman whose job he's aiming to grab, Jessica Lappin.

“I wholeheartedly endorse Micah Kellner for City Council. I have been honored to represent the 5th District for the last seven years and know he will make an outstanding Council Member for our community," Ms. Lappin said in a press release. "One example of his success was passing a landmark law to protect New Yorkers with chronic and life-threatening diseases from prescription drug price gouging at the hands of insurance companies," she continued. "His experience, creativity and accomplishments give Micah the best qualifications to be our next City Council Member. I look forward to voting for him and will be proud to call him my Council Member.”

Ms. Lappin is vacating her district to run for Manhattan Borough President, leaving a field of aspiring council members to compete for the position.

Attorney Ben Kallos has been the most aggressive fundraiser in the race and would appear likely to be Mr. Kellner's main rival, with dancing professor Hill Krishnan and gaffe-prone community board member Ed Hartzog rounding out the pack. Mr. Kallos was previously endorsed by former Public Advocate Mark Green.

Councilman Robert Jackson (Photo: Facebook)

"For more than 30 years, Robert Jackson has fought for New York City's public school children and has been their champion and advocate," Mr. Mulgrew said. "He understands personally the power of education and has fought to make sure every child has the chance for the best education possible."

In his statement, Mr. Mulgrew specifically cited a 1993 lawsuit Mr. Jackson participated in arguing the state's methods for allocating public education funds did not adequately provide for New York City children. Mr. Jackson, who was a public school parent at the time, walked the 150 miles from the five boroughs to Albany to spotlight the case.

"From suing the state and walking 150 miles to Albany to fix a school aid formula that was cheating our public school children to standing up against unfair school closures and budget cuts, Robert Jackson has fought tirelessly for our children, their parents and the entire school community," said Mr. Mulgrew. "He knows how to get things done and has a record to prove it. Robert has worked hard for everything he has achieved. He is a leader we can trust, who will stand on principle, bring people together and be a great Borough President of Manhattan."

Mr. Jackson, who is prevented by term limits from keeping his Council seat, is facing a crowded field in his bid for the Manhattan borough presidency. Former community board chair Julie Menin and Councilwoman Jessica Lappin are both in the race. Last year, Councilwoman Gale Brewer also said she would be running for borough president, but she has not officially launched a campaign. The current borough president, Scott Stringer, is running for comptroller. Though Mr. Jackson has lagged behind some of his rivals in terms of fundraising, his campaign sees the endorsement of the influential, 200,000-member-strong UFT as a sign of major progress.

"My campaign is getting a great reception every place we go. This is a major endorsement and another sign of the momentum we are feeling as we build a large and diverse grassroots campaign that is moving this campaign forward," Mr. Jackson said in a statement on the endorsement. "I look forward to working with the UFT to win this campaign. Together, we can make a difference for families today, and for generations to come."

(Photo: Facebook)

Step aside Joe Lhota, you're not the only one who registered a new campaign account today.

Assemblyman Micah Kellner, who had been "inching" towards a City Council campaign as far back as April of last year, officially pulled the trigger by forming "KELLNER 2013" and, in a statement, announced the bid as the next step towards representing his Upper East Side constituents.

"I entered public service to tackle the tough issues, and to fight for our community. This year presents a new opportunity to serve by running for New York's 5th City Council district," Mr. Kellner said. "In 2013, New Yorkers will elect a new Mayor and a new City Council. Our city needs experienced leaders who can get to work on day one. As a member of the City Council, I will be able to use my legislative experience to make a difference for New Yorkers when it matters most. I am humbled by the early encouragement that I have received from community leaders and I am very excited to take this next step."

Mr. Kellner won't have the field to himself, however, and there are a number of other candidates in the race, including attorney Benjamin Kallos and adjunct professor Hill Krishnan, who is notable for his impeccable dance moves.

The incumbent, Councilwoman Jessica Lappin, is leaving a vacant seat behind her as she campaigns for Manhattan Borough President.

Update (4:45 p.m.):  In a statement touting his résumé and not mentioning his new electoral rival by name, Mr. Kallos welcomed Mr. Kellner with some critical words:

Robert Jackson

Councilman Robert Jackson is rolling out his high-profile allies in the Harlem political establishment to help him celebrate his birthday and raise money for his bid to be Manhattan borough president later this month. Former Mayor David Dinkins sent out an email this afternoon announcing a fundraiser and birthday celebration for Mr. Jackson that he will be attending along with Congressman Charlie Rangel, State Senator Bill Perkins and Councilwoman Inez Dickens on December 17.

"Robert Jackson is an effective and energetic fighter who understands the challenges we face in this borough and has proven that he can get the job done," Mr. Dinkins wrote. "He has been a strong, hard-working, progressive leader in the City Council, and I have great confidence that he will continue to advocate for measures that promise to improve the lives of all the people of the Borough of Manhattan."

Mr. Jackson, who is prevented from running for re-election to the Council by term limits, is set to face Community Board 1 Chair Julie Menin and Councilwoman Jessica Lappin in the race for the borough presidency. Though Mr. Jackson has ramped up his fundraising efforts in recent months, the $141,284 in his campaign account is currently dwarfed by the war chests of his rivals. According to the latest campaign finance reports, Ms. Menin currently has $956,490 for her campaign and Ms. Lappin has $534,487.

Another probable candidate in the race is Councilwoman Gale Brewer, who is also term-limited and has yet to file with the city's campaign finance board. Back in February, Ms. Brewer told Politicker she was "definitely" going to run, but hadn't organized an official campaign because she was "working on so many different issues."

Read Mr. Dinkins' full message about the event for Mr. Jackson below:

Dear Hunter -

I’m joining Congressman Charlie Rangel, Senator Bill Perkins, Councilmember Inez Dickens, Geoffrey Canada and a host of elected and community leaders on December 17th as we celebrate Councilmember Robert Jackson’s birthday and raise money for his campaign to be Manhattan’s next Borough President.

You can get more information and RSVP here.

Robert Jackson is an effective and energetic fighter who understands the challenges we face in this borough and has proven that he can get the job done. He has been a strong, hard-working, progressive leader in the City Council, and I have great confidence that he will continue to advocate for measures that promise to improve the lives of all the people of the Borough of Manhattan.

You might think there is plenty of time to get involved, however I cannot stress enough how important it is to get involved now. With a critical year end campaign filing fast approaching, the time to step up is now.  Your donation will do more and mean more if you make it now.

So please, come celebrate Robert Jackson's birthday with us. It promises to be a good time for a great candidate. And even if you can't be there with us, please click here to go to his web site and donate $100, $50 or whatever you can to Robert Jackson and to let me know that you are with us fighting to make a difference.

Please RSVP for the birthday party here.

Thank you for everything you do.

I look forward to seeing you on the 17th,

David Menegon (Photo: Facebook)

David Menegon, president of the Lenox Hill Democratic Club, has registered a City Council campaign committee and looks like he's set to run for Councilwoman Jessica Lappin's Upper East Side seat in 2013. Ms. Lappin is expected to run for Manhattan Borough President, leaving a vacant seat behind her.

Mr. Menegon's interest in the seat was already established, but he pointedly told reporters that he was only mulling a run and hadn't registered a committee yet.

“I’ve spoken to a couple of friends about this. I’m interested. I’ve lived here for almost 20 years,” he told Our Town. “I haven’t filed any paperwork, I haven’t made a decision, it’s very preliminary.”

But now that has changed and Mr. Menegon wrote on Facebook that "the race is on."

If he formally declares for the race, he would be entering a crowded Democratic primary that already includes attorneys Benjamin Kallos and Nico Minerva, as well as the disco-dancing professor Hill Krishnan. Assemblyman Micah Kellner is also considering a run and if he does launch a campaign, he could be the frontrunner in the race.

Councilman Robert Jackson (Photo: Facebook)

Councilman Robert Jackson is ramping up his fundraising efforts in his bid to be Manhattan Borough President. On April 17, Mr. Jackson is having a fundraiser in an apartment adjacent to Lincoln Center. Mr. Jackson has good reason to step up his efforts to draw donations. As of January, he had a much smaller war chest than two of his rivals in the race for the borough presidency.

Mr. Jackson's fundraiser is hosted by Michael Rebell, executive director of the Campaign for Educational Equity at Columbia and a longtime advocate for increased public education funding, and Mr. Rebell's brother, Arthur. According to the invitation ickets for the event cost from $50 to $500.

Two of Mr. Jackson's rivals in the race for Manhatta's borough presidency, Julie Mennin and Councilwoman Jessica Lappin, both had over $400,000 in campaign contributions as of the most recent reporting date compared to just $9,918 for Mr. Jackson. Councilwoman Gale Brewer, has also declared her intention to run for the borough presidency, but as of February, she said her work on "so many different issues" had precluded her from forming campaign committee.

View the invite to Mr. Jackson's event below.

Micah Kellner (Photo: Facebook)

Assemblyman Micah Kellner is "inching closer" to running for Upper East Side Councilwoman Jessica Lappin's seat in 2013, a source close to Mr. Kellner told The Politicker today.

A campaign consultant familiar with the district confirmed this, directly saying Mr. Kellner is actively in the process of "considering" the campaign.

If Mr. Kellner does indeed enter the race, he'll shake up the landscape of a field that includes attorneys Benjamin Kallos and Nico Minerva, as well as dancing adjunct professor Hill Krishnan.

Mr. Kellner's decision, of course, depends on whether Ms. Lappin ultimately pulls the trigger on her campaign for Manhattan Borough President. Like the other candidates considering the race, he would step aside if Ms. Lappin decided to run for reelection.

Hill Krishnan bringing the disco funk. (Photo: YouTube)

Hill Krishnan, an adjunct professor at New York University and underdog candidate in the race to succeed Councilwoman Jessica Lappin in her Upper East Side seat, can dance. And, in a 2006 YouTube video entitled "Indian Disco Dancer," he brings it to the streets of Manhattan.

Dressed in shiny disco-themed clothing, Mr. Krishnan strolls around doing chops and kicks as surprised onlookers gaze on. He eventually switches locations and ends up dancing both in a field and shirtless on the beach.

Mr. Krishnan has since sought to capitalize on his skills, hosting a dance-themed campaign fundraiser yesterday evening.

"My style of dancing is both Indian folk incorporated with hip-hop," Mr. Krishnan explained in an interview. "When hip-hop dancers see what I do, some of them laugh, because it's different. But women love it."

The two big names Mr. Krishnan will need to defeat in the 2013 Democratic primary are attorneys Benjamin Kallos and Nico Minerva. The current occupant of the seat, Ms. Lappin, is expected to run for Manhattan Borough President.

Watch the candidate dance below:

Hill Krishann asking his question (Photo: YouTube)

At a recent forum for New York University, British Prime Minister David Cameron fielded a question from Hill Krishnan, a City Council candidate for the Upper East Side.

Mr. Krishnan, an adjunct professor at NYU in global affairs, first wanted to know what the United Kingdom was doing to reduce its nuclear stockpile, and second, what advice Mr. Cameron would be able to provide him for his first political campaign.

In addition to defending the need for a nuclear deterrent on the international stage, Mr. Cameron's advice to Mr. Krishnan was simply to be an honest candidate.

"I think the most important thing in politics is to say what you think, to do what you say, to be clear and frank about where you stand," he said. "The thing I always find about politics is that even if people aren't that interested in politics and policy and what you're saying, they have a brilliant way of determining whether you are meaning what you say."

"They see through people who take a position that they don't believe in, and your authentic sense of who you are and what you want to achieve, if you communicate that, you'll be just fine," he added.

Mr. Krishnan, a political neophyte who will be going up against attorneys Benjamin Kallos and Nico Minerva for the seat, may need some good fortune in addition to frankness to ultimately win the election.

The seat's current occupant, Councilwoman Jessica Lappin, is expected to run for Manhattan Borough President.

Watch Mr. Cameron provide his advice below: