On Saturday, July 11 Comptroller and Democratic mayoral candidate William Thompson will be at Brooklyn Borough Hall from 11 AM to 12 PM for a five-borough campaign kickoff event.The New York Times calls the low-key Thompson, not yet advertising and trailing in the polls, a "stealth candidate".
Incumbent mayor Michael Bloomberg is everywhere: TV, the Web, your mailbox. By contrast, the wonkish, careful Thompson is holding back, conserving his limited campaign funds and waiting to launch a full-on assault in the run-up to the election this fall.
Democrats, seeing Bloomberg racking up endorsements from groups and individuals traditionally allied with the Democratic Party, are concerned that Thompson is too laid-back. But Thompson says there's no way he can compete with Bloomberg's media blitz. Instead, he's doing the grass-roots circuit, hitting union halls and neighborhood Democratic clubs, testing his message.
In his stump speech, Thompson attacks the mayor for killing democracy in New York City and only caring about rich people.
According to a recent poll, Bloomberg is vulnerable. He may have a good approval rating, but voters resent his imperious tone and his undemocratic ways.
Thompson has the strategic advantage of a clear shot at the September primary. His long-shot opponent, Queens City Council Member Tony Avella, has raised less than $250,000.
Thompson is modeling Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter of Philadelphia, another low-key by-the-book politician running against a billionaire who pulled off an unexpected Democratic primary victory in 2007.
The article from the New York Times.Thompson's campaign site.
