The invitation for one of Reshma Saujani's California fund-raisers this week.

Reshma Saujani's campaign for public advocate is getting a boost from Silicon Valley, with contributions from some of high-tech's biggest names.

Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg is among the contributors who will appear in filings the campaign expects to file today with the city's Campaign Finance Board. Grammy-award winner John Legend also chipped in.

Ms. Saujani, a former deputy public advocate and the founder of the non-profit Girls Who Code, will report raising nearly $154,000 over the past two months, her campaign told Politicker. In total, she has raised $2,180,000 when combined with match funds, they said.

“I’m proud of the outpouring of grassroots support that has helped our campaign expand and grow over the last two months,” Ms. Saujani said in a statement. “These are people that are joining me to fight for opportunity for all New Yorkers and are looking for a Public Advocate that offers something more than the same old ideas.”

Twitter founder Jack Dorsey headlined a fund-raiser in April for Ms. Saujani, whose campaign has been bolstered by the South Asian and start-up communities.

Ms. Saujani also traveled to California this week for a pair of fundraisers in Los Angeles and San Francisco. One of the people on the host committee of the San Francisco event is Randi Zuckerberg, the sister of Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg.

Correction: Mr. Dorsey headlined a fundraiser for Ms. Saujani, did not donate to her campaign.

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

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.

"The South Asian community is on the rise in New York City, with a population expanding to well over 300,000," the group's press released claimed. "South Asian voter turnout in the 2013 New York City elections is expected to break records thanks to the advocacy and successful voter drives led by organizations like ASAAL."

“Reshma’s story is our story - she came here and worked hard to succeed, and now she’s working to protect that same opportunity for all New Yorkers," Maf Misbah Uddin, ASAAL's president, added in a statement.

Mr. Uddin's thoughts echo an argument made by Himanshu “Heems” Suri, one of the members of the rap group Das Racist, who endorsed Ms. Saujani a month ago because he felt she would help the South Asian community find its political voice. Of course, mobilizing new immigrant communities is easier said than done and South Asians will only be a small slice of the overall citywide electorate, so Ms. Saujani still has her work cut out for her.

She faces a crowded field for the position, including State Senator Dan Squadron, Councilwoman Tish James, professor Cathy Guerriero and civilian NYPD official Sidique Wai.

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

"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. “Sat on my stoop and came into my home for two hours. He wanted to know whether or not I was going to run again, and if I was not, he wanted my support."

A special election opened up in the aftermath of the incumbent's death and Ms. James, who had run against Mr. Davis before, would indeed mount another bid. This time, she ran for the seat solely on the Working Families Party line--the first New York State official ever to do so successfully. The circle completed itself Thursday night when the labor-backed third party endorsed Ms. James again as she now campaigns for citywide for public advocate.

Her campaign has been humming along too. In addition to the WFP, she has scooped up union endorsements and support from clubs far outside her Brooklyn district. Last week, one of the Upper West Side's most prominent political clubs, the Three Parks Independent Democrats, offered its endorsement, giving her 72 votes, versus 20 for the man seen as her chief opponent, State Sen. Dan Squadron. Another group, the Broadway Democrats, soon followed.

Curtis Arluck, a district leader and Broadway Democrats member, pointed to Ms. James' experience--as well as a desire for diversity--as key to the endorsement. There are only three citywide positions in New York and, as several white candidates are jockeying for the mayoralty and Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer runs unopposed for comptroller, the public advocate's office is viewed by some Democrats as an opportunity to have demographic diversity on their ticket.

"When you have two good candidates and one has more experience ... and is also African American and a woman, that's appealing," Mr. Arluck told Politicker.

Ms. James' own campaign pitch isn't too complicated either. "I believe that the narrative of my life--the story of who I am--just speaks to the mission of the office," she explained. "It fits hand in glove."

She proceeded to tick off functions of the office--emphasizing its role as an ombudsman and watchdog--adding phrases like "I've done that" at each point. She was particularly proud of her early criticism of the city's bungled CityTime project, which aimed to modernize government payroll systems but instead wasted hundreds of millions of dollars. Ms. James further claimed with near-certainty that she'll be able to increase the office's relatively underfunded budget, enabling her to create new divisions for low-wage workers and immigrants.

"Imagine taking the skills that I have and utilizing it on a citywide basis," she said. "I've demonstrated that time and time again and that's why I'm running."

Ms. James, whose voice booms like a preacher's at press conferences, has emerged as one of the loudest members of the City Council when it comes to issues she's focused on, including not only CityTime but cuts to social services, the police department's stop-and-frisk policy and the controversial Atlantic Yards development project, located in her Fort Greene-based district.

"She and I did not always share the same view on the Atlantic Yards project," Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, who lives in the district and has not endorsed in the race, told Politicker. "But her concerns were always incredibly well articulated and with a passion and delivered with a sense of forcefulness."

Her detractors, to the extent they're audible, largely point to her campaign's relatively weak fund-raising and directly question her viability as a candidate. New quarterly filings will be made public later this week, but up until last March, Ms. James had raised about $500,000 with a high burn rate--$300,000 spent. Her top two opponents have done much better in the same period. Both Mr. Squadron and former Deputy Public Advocate Reshma Saujani raised roughly $1 million while spending close to $200,000. (Cathy Guerriero and Sidique Wai are also vying for the Democratic nomination.)

"The money will come in. I'm not really worried about the money," Ms. James insisted when we brought up her lagging numbers. "We will be competitive. My strongest point has never been fundraising. My strongest point has been advocacy and focusing on people and transforming the lives of others. And that's why you're looking at the next public advocate."

Partially because of her fund-raising, there are often rumors that Ms. James will drop down into another race. Recently, the Daily News reported that Ms. James was eying a possible run for Brooklyn borough president in the wake of revelations that the race's front-runner, State Sen. Eric Adams, may be under federal investigation. Ms. James flatly rejected the report.

Others have quietly speculated that she might run again for her current Council seat, and try to succeed Christine Quinn as the next City Council Speaker.

"Don't try to distract me," she said when asked about a possible speakership bid last month. "They want me to run for speaker, borough president. They want me to run for district attorney. It's wonderful that so many people are talking about me. As long as they keep talking about me, then I'm a winner ... Thank you for your vote of confidence, I'm running for public advocate."

Ms. James was similarly committed when we asked if she might follow the path of current Public Advocate Bill de Blasio and run for mayor after a term or two in office.

"I'm running for public advocate. I'm running for public advocate. I'm running for public advocate," she replied, repeating the trained response for emphasis. "I'm running for public advocate."

Additional reporting by Jill Colvin.

The Working Families Party logo. (Photo: Facebook)

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.

“Tish is always the first one to stand with David and stare down Goliath. For a decade, she's been a leader on every fight that matters to progressives in New York," WFP's executive director Dan Cantor gushed in a statement. "Whether it’s paid sick days, defending our public schools or cracking down on corporate looters, Tish has been out front.”

At a glance, several other candidates also stand out. Carlos Menchaca, for instance, is the only endorsee who's working to unseat a Democratic incumbent--Brooklyn's Sara Gonzalez. Additionally, Igor Oberman, Laurie Cumbo, Austin Shafran and Marc Landis are fighting for votes in very crowded primaries and are surely quite happy with the WFP's seal of approval.

The WFP is still neutral in a few races, especially those with more moderate or establishment-friendly incumbents, but as of last night, the party has weighed in on the vast majority of them.

View the list below, the latest endorsements are bolded:

Public Advocate: Letitia James
Comptroller: Scott Stringer

City Council District 2: Rosie Mendez
City Council District 3: Corey Johnson
City Council District 4: Dan Garodnick
City Council District 5: Micah Kellner
City Council District 6: Marc Landis
City Council District 7: Mark Levine
City Council District 8: Melissa Mark-Viverito
City Council District 10: Ydanis Rodriguez
City Council District 11: Andy Cohen
City Council District 12: Andy King
City Council District 14: Fernando Cabrera
City Council District 15: Ritchie Torres
City Council District 16: Vanessa Gibson
City Council District 18: Annabel Palma
City Council District 19: Austin Shafran
City Council District 21: Julissa Ferreras
City Council District 22: Costa Constantinides
City Council District 23: Mark Weprin
City Council District 24: Rory Lancman
City Council District 25: Danny Dromm
City Council District 26: Jimmy Van Bramer
City Council District 27: Daneek Miller
City Council District 30: Elizabeth Crowley
City Council District 31: Donovan Richards
City Council District 33: Steve Levin
City Council District 34: Antonio Reynoso
City Council District 35: Laurie Cumbo
City Council District 36: Kirsten Foy
City Council District 37: Kim Council
City Council District 38: Carlos Menchaca
City Council District 39: Brad Lander
City Council District 40: Mathieu Eugene
City Council District 41: Darlene Mealy
City Council District 43: Vincent Gentile
City Council District 45: Jumaane Williams
City Council District 46: Alan Maisel
City Council District 48: Igor Oberman
City Council District 49: Debi Rose

Senator Squadron rallying for LICH. (Photo: Facebook)

State Sen. Dan Squadron's campaign for public advocate continued to hum along today as he announced six endorsements from Albany's lower legislative chamber: Assemblymembers Deborah Glick, Brian Kavanagh, Micah Kellner, Dan Quart, Joan Millman and Nily Rozic.

The first four represent Manhattan districts stretching from the Upper East Side down into lower Manhattan, while Ms. Millman--like Mr. Squadron--represents a slice of Brownstone Brooklyn. Ms. Rozic hails from northeastern Queens. For what it's worth, Mr. Kellner, an avid fan of Mr. Squadron's, had signaled his likely intentions some time ago.

In statements, the various endorsers declared their support for Mr. Squadron based on a wide range of issues, including pedestrian and cyclist safety, the fight to save Long Island College Hospital, gay rights and gun control legislation, among others.

"In his tenure as a State Senator, Daniel has proven to be a strong advocate for tenant rights, a partner in our fight to save LICH, and has worked to improve access to our waterfront," Ms. Millman said, for example. "He not only talks about these issues, he has written legislation to correct problems which improve the quality of life for all New Yorkers."

Previously Mr. Squadron has rolled out a number of his fellow state senators as he battles against Councilwoman Letitia James, 2010 congressional candidate Reshma Saujani, teacher Cathy Guerriero and Sidique Wai in this year's Democratic primary. Ms. James in particular has racked up plenty of significant endorsements of her own, including unions, council members and, as of last night, the Three Parks Independent Democrats, a prominent Upper West Side club.

View Mr. Squadron's full announcement below:

NEW YORK -- Today, six Democratic Assemblymembers from across the city endorsed Daniel Squadron for Public Advocate in 2013, including Assemblymembers Deborah Glick (D-Manhattan), Brian Kavanagh (D-Manhattan), Micah Kellner (D-Manhattan), Joan Millman (D-Brooklyn), Dan Quart (D-Manhattan), and Nily Rozic (D-Queens).

Today's announcement follows the endorsements of a broad coalition of State Senators -- Joseph Addabbo (Queens), Martin Malave Dilan (Brooklyn), Michael Gianaris (Queens), Brad Hoylman (Manhattan), Gustavo Rivera (Bronx), and Jose M. Serrano (Manhattan/Bronx).

In January, Squadron was also endorsed by both former Public Advocates, Mark Green and Betsy Gotbaum.

The Assemblymembers underscored Squadron's record of delivering results and fighting for reform, and his vision for the Public Advocate as key in engaging and supporting communities often left behind in local government and ensuring that all New Yorkers have access to opportunity.

"Daniel is a fighter for each and every New Yorker. I've worked with Daniel to support Hudson River Park and protect affordable housing, and I know that he's a true voice for critical progressive reforms, a tireless LGBT ally, and a strong leader who knows how to deliver results. That's why Daniel's the best choice to become our next Public Advocate," said Glick.

"I've been proud to partner with Daniel on countless issues in the community and in Albany, from pedestrian and cyclist safety to a sustainable and strong public housing system. Daniel is a determined, hard-working, and thoughtful reformer, and he doesn't stop fighting until he gets things done. That's why I'm standing with Daniel for Public Advocate," said Kavanagh.

"Daniel is a tireless advocate for the rights of each and every New Yorker, and a reformer who knows how to get things done. He has an incomparable ability to build consensus and achieve real successes, and I know that he'll be a fighter for the East Side and for every single New Yorker. That's why I'm supporting Daniel as our next Public Advocate," said Kellner.

"In his tenure as a State Senator, Daniel has proven to be a strong advocate for tenant rights, a partner in our fight to save LICH, and has worked to improve access to our waterfront. He not only talks about these issues, he has written legislation to correct problems which improve the quality of life for all New Yorkers," said Millman.

"Whether we're talking about his leadership on ethics reform, gun control, and affordable housing, or his tireless advocacy for better transit and more open space, Daniel's been a dynamic and effective Senator. That progressive leadership is exactly what New York City wants and needs in our next Public Advocate -- and Daniel is the best choice for the job," said Quart.

"I've seen Daniel's effectiveness first-hand in his district and in Albany -- and I know he's exactly what our city needs at this critical moment. From education and healthcare, to vital government reform and pay equity for women, Daniel is already an advocate for each and every New Yorker. I'm very proud to support him as our next Public Advocate," said Rozic.

"I'm humbled and honored to have the support of these dynamic leaders as I build my campaign for Public Advocate. Communities across our city need a fighter who will stand up for them and deliver results. Together, we will work to ensure that each and every New Yorker has the opportunity to make a life here," said Squadron.

As of the last filing, Squadron had already raised $2.15 million in direct contributions and expected public matching funds, with nearly $2 million in contributions and matching funds to spend on the race ahead of the Democratic primary. He has built a broad base of grassroots support, with nearly 2000 individual contributors, of whom 70% contributed less than $250. Over 250 New Yorkers have hosted house parties and fundraisers for Squadron. Squadron has never accepted contributions from corporations or special interest PACs.

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

He may be running for mayor, but Bill de Blasio's last campaign is still causing headaches. Mr. de Blasio's 2009 campaign for public advocate was fined more than $20,000 Thursday for various violations by the city's campaign finance board.

The fines range from $300 for failing to file a daily disclosure statement, to $1,625 for accepting nine over-the-limit contributions that it eventually refunded, and $1,750 for accepting contributions from eight unregistered political committees, which the campaign also eventually reimbursed.

But the most interesting was the $10,000 he was fined for something called "comingling." According to the board, Mr. de Blasio's campaign routinely mixed up spending between its 2009 and 2013 accounts, displaying "inconsistent rationales for allocating expenditures." That left $32,000 in expenses that could not be allocated to one campaign committee or the other, they said.

“CFB staff  observed a frequent, substantial, and contemporaneously undocumented flow  of funds between the Candidate’s 2009 and 2013 accounts, in violation of the Act and Rules  provisions cited above," the ruling read. "Numerous transactions  were improperly paid for  by each committee, and significant liabilities from each to the other  accrued.”

A spokesman for Mr. de Blasio's current campaign said the charges were unwarranted--but said they would pay up anyway.

"While we believe that the penalties imposed by the CFB on Bill's 2009 campaign are without merit and are confident that they would have been overturned if we had appealed further, we have decided to move on in order to concentrate fully on the 2013 campaign," the spokesman said in a statement. "We are pleased that the issue has been resolved."

Campaigns routinely get fined tens of thousands of dollars for infractions ranging from disclosure errors to fines for taping campaign posters to public property.  de Blasio previously paid $300,000 for illegal campaign posters. His fellow mayoral candidate Bill Thompson paid even more, shelling out nearly $600,000 in fines for illegal postering during his 2009 campaign, in addition to fines for other violations like accepting over-the-limit contributions.

Comptroller John Liu was also charged more than $500,000 for posters during his 2009 campaign.

Bill de Blasio and Chirlane McCray. (Photo: Getty)

In December of last year, Politicker published a seven-page 1979 Essence magazine article where Chirlane McCray, the wife of mayoral candidate Bill de Blasio, frankly discussed her identity as a lesbian. The news made waves, amplified by a New York Post cartoon condemned as offensive. Now, more than six months after our report and decades after the original essay, Ms. McCray returned to Essence's pages to discuss Mr. de Blasio, her sexual identity and more.

"I came out at 17. I hadn't really dated any men. I thought, Whoa, what is this?" she said at one point in the Essence interview, when asked about entering her relationship with Mr. de Blasio. "But I also didn't think, Oh, now I'm attracted to men. I was attracted to Bill. He felt like the perfect person for me."

Ms. McCray went on to hint that she has a much more complex sexual identity today.

"I am more than just a label. Why are people so driven to labeling where we fall on the sexual spectrum?" she said when asked if she considers herself bisexual. As to whether she is still attracted to women, Ms. Mcray said, "I'm married, I'm monogamous, but I'm not dead and Bill isn't either."

Ms. McCray, who once worked for former Mayor David Dinkins along with Mr. de Blasio, now the city's public advocate, is perhaps the most active spouse on the mayoral campaign trail and appears set to take an active role in a potential de Blasio administration.

"It's too early to say what I will work on," she said about her plans if Mr. de Blasio wins, "but I'll be my own person."

Bill de Blasio, Steve Buscemi, and Vampire Weekend. (Screengrab: YouTube)

Public Advocate Bill de Blasio is a big fan of the band Vampire Weekend, apparently.

"I just can't wait for the new album, Modern Vampires in the City!" Mr. de Blasio, a candidate for mayor this year, says in a promotional video released today. "It's something that I've been waiting for. I can't wait for it to come out."

The entire exchange, set between Mr. de Blasio and actor Steve Buscemi, one of the candidate's more prominent celebrity endorsers, feels just a little forced as the two pretend to bump into each other outside of a local bowling alley. The public advocate professes his love for Vampire Weekend, even name-checking two of their songs, "A-Punk" and "Oxford Comma."

Mr. Buscemi, who is directing a video for the band, guides Mr. de Blasio over to the group, who just so happen to be standing nearby.

"If you become mayor, if these guys vote for you, do you think that they could write the official song for New York City?" Mr. Buscemi asks.

"For four votes?" Mr. de Blasio jokingly answers. "Absolutely. Unquestionably."

Watch below:

Reshma Saujani. (Photo: Facebook)

Later this morning, Reshma Saujani will officially launch her public advocate campaign, an ambitious bid for one of two competitive citywide races this year. But as she lays out her agenda, it won't be the same Reshma Saujani politicos remember from her 2010 primary against Upper East Side Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney. In that campaign, she embraced her "Pro-Wall Street Democrat" label, but now, Ms. Saujani says she's focused on a whole new slate of issues.

"Oh my God, so much!" she told Politicker when asked if she's learned from her experiences since then, including a stint in the public advocate's office. "Since 2010, I have a record--a progressive record--of accomplishment. There are people in the city who I have helped put on a path of economic prosperity, that are in college because I fought for them. There are people in jobs because I fought for them ... In 2010, that was harder to demonstrate, right? Because I was working as a lawyer in the private sector."

Ms. Saujani, a former hedge fund lawyer, further claimed that her heart was never in finance industry. Rather, she said that career choice was forced by circumstance.

"When I graduated law school, I was almost $200,000 in student loan debt," she explained. "I wanted to work at the N.A.A.C.P. or the A.C.L.U., working on civil rights issues. But when I looked at my loan statement, I didn't have a choice. My family had certain financial commitments that I had to help them keep. And going into the private sector--I never wanted to be the C.E.O. of Morgan Stanley--I always wanted to do what I'm doing today, which is public service."

Today, Ms. Saujani mostly talks about the work she's done since 2010. In our interview, Ms. Saujani often pivoted to topics like women, immigrants and the technology sector, a multi-pronged embodiment of both her own status as the daughter of South Asian political refugees and her non-profit, Girls Who Code, which teaches teenage girls technology skills. Indeed, in her 5-day, 5 borough “Opportunity For All Tour," Ms. Saujani's campaign indicated that she will be talking about immigration in Queens and the Bronx, women-owned small businesses in Staten Island and tech-based businesses in the Dumbo neighborhood of Brooklyn. In Manhattan, she'll attend a Wednesday fund-raiser hosted by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey--held exactly 140 days before Election Day.

Jose Antonio Vargas, an immigration activist who wrote a prominent Times article outing himself as undocumented, told Politicker that Ms. Saujani's work on behalf of a New York City-based "DREAM Fellowship," which gives scholarships to undocumented students, should speak for itself.

"As somebody who's been an undocumented person, ... I never thought that DREAM Act would be as mainstream. Everyone now knows what the DREAM Act is, right?" he said. "What's really important to underscore about Reshma is that she's been a leader on this issue, nationally and locally, even before it was a thing. I also think that what makes her perfect for this job."

In order to get that job, however, Ms. Saujani will have to beat back several other candidates vying for the same position. The field includes State Senator Dan Squadron, Councilwoman Tish James and teacher Cathy Guerriero.

One labor leader told Politicker he wasn't sure who he would ultimately endorse, listing the pluses and negatives of the various top-tier contenders.

"Has she changed as a candidate?" he said when he got to Ms. Saujani. "I'm not sure. Has her presentation changed? Absolutely."

(Photo: YouTube)

Himanshu “Heems” Suri, one of the members of the rap group Das Racist, has a preferred candidate to replace Public Advocate Bill de Blasio: Reshma Saujani. Mr. Suri tweeted about his support over the weekend, and writing to Politicker in an email yesterday, Mr. Suri elaborated by arguing that Ms. Saujani's candidacy will help the South Asian community find its political voice.

"She has raised over a million dollars for this race and will be a very well resourced candidate," he explained. "She will be investing more into South Asian turnout than anyone ever has. ... We will probably have the highest South Asian voter turnout ever this year because of her on the ballot and the resources she will be putting in it. This is the most qualified and well resourced candidate from the community ever."

This is not the first time Mr. Suri, who hails from Queens, has involved himself in local politics; he released a mixtape in an attempt to mobilize the South Asian community during the state legislative redistricting process and wrote a letter to Speaker Christine Quinn when the City Council was redrawing their own districts last year. Both times he urged lawmakers to unite South Asian communities in the new maps instead of dividing them.

For her part, Ms. Saujani released a statement touting the support and the historic nature of her candidacy.

"I'm proud to earn the support of New Yorkers like Heems who are stepping up to be a voice for their communities. Running to be the first South Asian elected in New York City is an honor, and the support has been inspiring," she said. "The immigrant dream, the New York dream and the American Dream are one and the same, and as Public Advocate I will work every day to make that dream a reality."

Mr. de Blasio is vacating the public advocate post to run for mayor, and a crowded field is running to replace him, including Ms. Saujani, State Senator Dan Squadron and Councilwoman Tish James.