PEP, December 2009: 1,500 volunteers help elect de Blasio, Liu and City Council

By DIANE S. WILLIAMS

DC 37-endorsed mayoral candidate Bill Thompson stood up and never backed down. In a campaign that pitted the people’s advocate against a billionaire’s juggernaut, Thompson galvanized Democrats in neighborhoods across New York City and built a vibrant coalition of unions, progressive advocacy groups and minority voters.

He won an astonishing 47 percent of the electorate and for that, leading Democrats at Thompson’s campaign headquarters in Manhattan the night of Nov. 3 declared him a winner in their hearts. But Thompson’s efforts were not enough to defeat billionaire Mayor Mike Bloomberg, who spent an unprecedented $100 million but won his third term by just five percentage points.

“This campaign started early on with a shared vision for the city of New York, compassion for people in need, and a call for solidarity,” DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts told Thompson supporters at the New York Hilton.

“Bill Thompson was smeared by lies and outspent by tens of millions of dollars,” she said. “Through it all, he kept his focus on the people and the issues we stand for: protecting the middle class, educating our children, providing public services by a unionized workforce, and keeping this city affordable for all New Yorkers.”

Union flexes political muscle

District Council 37 was one of the first unions to throw its political clout behind Thompson, who joined Roberts at grassroots community meetings citywide and local union membership meetings. DC 37 volunteers leafleted before and after work at subway and bus stops, at churches on Sundays, at City Hall rallies and at worksites. On Election Day, more than 1,500 volunteers hit the streets and staffed call centers to get out the vote.

DC 37’s Green Machine activists also played an important role in the coalitions that elected new Public Advocate Bill de Blasio and new Comptroller John Liu, who both won landslide victories with over 70 percent of the vote.

Additionally, 98 percent of candidates DC 37 endorsed for City Council won their seats. Political Director Wanda Williams said these victories send a loud message that New York City is still a Democratic union town.

While pundits and pollsters dismissed Thompson early on, Election Day precinct reports had the mayor on the ropes for much of the evening. Nov. 3 was a very long and expensive night for Bloomberg and not the easy win that many projected.

The mayor’s campaign bombarded New Yorkers with radio and television ads, glossy mailers and robo-calls. Costs per voter for Bloomberg ran about $157, to Thompson’s economical $13. The self-interested extension of term limits cost Bloomberg electoral support and may adversely impact the political ambitions of some City Council members.

The endorsements from ministers of the city’s mega-churches did not pay off for Bloomberg either, as voters in those districts supported Thompson almost four to one, despite low voter turnout.

Dems call for solidarity

Had Democrats stood in solidarity, Thompson would have had an easy victory, said state Assembly member Keith Wright, the Democratic leader of New York County, who declared, “Democrats will not forget those who betrayed us.”

“This campaign was about defying conventional wisdom. This campaign was about standing strong, standing tall and never backing down in the face of aformidable challenge,” Thompson said. “I am honored by the support I received and our shared desire for change carried me. To my friends in the labor movement who believed in me when others did not — especially DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts — thank you.”

DC 37 has built strong alliances with Liu and de Blasio, who now hold the two most powerful citywide posts after the mayor, and is counting on them to work boldly with the City Council to address the serious challenges that face the city and the workforce, said Roberts.