Press "Enter" to skip to content

Mayor Bloomberg of NYC is endorsed by Independence Party

(excerpt from) The New York Times
Bloomberg Is Endorsed by Independence Party

By FERNANDA SANTOS / Published: April 5, 2009

The New York City Independence Party voted overwhelmingly on Sunday to endorse Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg for a third term after he vowed, in private and public remarks delivered just before the vote, to try to establish nonpartisan elections in the city.

If re-elected, Mr. Bloomberg — a Democrat-turned-Republican who dropped all party affiliations two years ago — would be the first independent candidate elected to lead the city…

The Independence Party’s endorsement followed a private meeting Mr. Bloomberg had with about 70 of the party’s leaders at a hotel conference room in Manhattan’s Murray Hill neighborhood…

Still, Mr. Bloomberg faced pointed questions on topics including his commitment to explore the viability of nonpartisan elections and his decision to extend by legislation the two-term limit that voters had enacted by referendum…

In return for the support, Ms. Salit said that the mayor had offered, among other things, to help pay the costs of promoting him as the party’s candidate.

Note on “independent/independence”

In the state of New York, “Independence” is a party, with its own set of enrollees and political leaders. This situation is not the same as being “independent”, separate from any party. In New York, being independent is often called being a “blank.” So, even if Mayor Bloomberg only runs on the “Independence line”, he is still running with a party, just a third party. And, it may be that Bloomberg receives Republican support or the Republican line as well.

Other candidates in the race

An informal list of candidates who have declared or been mentioned as potential candidates for Mayor of NYC in 2009 can be found at Wikipedia: here. And, a list of candidates who have filed with the New York City Campaign Finance Board can be found: here.

The Libertarian Party and Socialist Workers Party are both planning on running candidates in this race.

Running on the Green Party line will be Billy Talen (Reverend Billy). A News Blaze article from March 31st shows that Reverend Billy recently won a settlement in a free speech lawsuit against New York City, which he sees as a victory over “violations of American free speech rights that are a hallmark of the Ray Kelly and Mike Bloomberg tenure.” The article is here.

13 Comments

  1. Green Ferret April 10, 2009

    Speaking of funny candidates, check out Reverend Billy Talen, the Green Party candidate for mayor of NYC. He’s not only hilarious, he’s visionary. Since many of his videos are already posted on IPR, you can just click the ‘Green Party’ search button and check out the comments section on the piece about Bill Talen on GPW radio.

  2. paulie April 7, 2009

    @ politics1.com:


    NEW YORK CITY. NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg has won the endorsement of the Independence Party in his bid for reelection this year to a third-term. The move guarantees him a spot on the November ballot. Bloomberg — who was a Democrat before previously switching to the GOP to run for Mayor in 2001 — quit the Republican Party in 2007. He recently announced he will also seek the Republican Party ballot line for the general election. The Independence Party ballot line will either provide Bloomberg with a multi-party fusion option for his supporters — or will become his lifeline if he loses the GOP primary in a major upset (as happened to incumbent NYC Mayor John Lindsay in the low turnout 1969 GOP primary).

  3. Richard Cooper April 6, 2009

    mdh 6
    Joseph Dobrian is a freelance writer for hire and an actor.

    If you would like to see him in a serious vein as a communicator, check out http://www.hardfire.net or Google video for many episodes of the Libertarian Party of New York program “Hardfire” that he hosted. There is one with me on eminent domain.

  4. Trent Hill April 6, 2009

    Ross,

    Donald is NOT ok. With that said, it’s not a condition that has changed at all. He’s always been unable to type in anything but mock-English-gibberish.

  5. paulie April 6, 2009

    Donald, are you OK? Your posts recently have been something other than English.

    Unfortunately, this phenomenon is not recent.

  6. Ross Levin April 6, 2009

    Donald, are you OK? Your posts recently have been something other than English.

  7. Sean Scallon April 6, 2009

    All I can say is I hope Mayor Bloomberg has better relations with Lenora Fulani and Fred Newman than Pat Buchanan did. They’re YOUR problem now.

    Of course never let it be said that a communist wouldn’t sell out for 30 pieces of silver if it didn’t in some way advance the “cause.” That how flexible their ideology can become when it comes to electoral politics.

  8. mdh April 6, 2009

    Dobrian seems to be a comedian/writer by trade. If you check out his website, it becomes pretty clear that the emperor/king bit is more of a comedic sketch than anything else. Looks like a pretty funny guy and that could make for a cool campaign.

  9. Donald Raymond Lake April 6, 2009

    As for the Independence Party, they are the best independents money can buy………..

    and Florida’s [so called Ecology Party] and the [so called] Independent Green Parties [Virginia and elsewhere].

    ………just ask the Jewish mafia [John Blair, John Coffey, Valli Sharpe Geisler] of the Deform Party of California, [after handing a $500 check to John Bambey in Sacramento [California] in December 2007, shady character Frank MacKay became Reform Party USA “CEO” [a non existent office] ]……….

    we hear ya ‘Green Ferret;, we hear ya………..

  10. Richard Cooper April 6, 2009

    New York City Libertarians will nominate a candidate for mayor on May 11th at the Ukrainian East Village Restaurant at 7pm. See http://www.manhattanlp.org.

    Expected to seek the nomination is Joseph Dobrian, Secretary of the LPNY and former Congressional candidate.

    As for the Independence Party, they are the best independents money can buy.

  11. Green Ferret April 6, 2009

    “The NY Times reported that Newman decided to give Bloomberg the line only after Bloomberg promised to pay a large sum to the party.”

    That’s how fusion works in practice – the smaller parties that endorse Republicans and Democrats quickly become ballot lines for sale.

  12. anonymous April 6, 2009

    This is the party that supposedly favors term limits and referendums. The city party is however controlled by the controversial Fred Newman. He is now endorsing the mayor for a third term after the people of New York voted overwhelmingly in two referendums for limits of two terms. Bloomberg was the leader of the repeal effort in the City Council that overturned the referendums to allow him a third term. The NY Times reported that Newman decided to give Bloomberg the line only after Bloomberg promised to pay a large sum to the party. Newman’s colleague Lenora Fulani is a possible candidate for Public Advocate on the same line as Bloomberg.

Comments are closed.