“I have made a decision,” former city comptroller Bill Thompson called to tell the Amsterdam News during an embargoed interview on Tuesday morning.
“I’m not gonna run this year for any of the offices mentioned, but I am going to run for mayor in 2013.”
A pin dropped in the corner of the room.
That’s a whole four years away. There was talk of him running against State Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand’s seat; or even being convinced into becoming Andrew Cuomo’s lieutenant governor running mate – or even Congress. Thompson said no to all of the above,
“I will stay active one way or another. This is the city I grew up in. It is the city that I love,” he told the AmNews. Bringing the everyday people issues to the forefront is why, Thompson said “I ran for mayor.”
He will stay close to the frontline, he said, because, “the issues I raised during the campaign are important, and I want to continue talk about them; the homelessness, affordable housing, trying to close the affordability gap so that working and middle class can afford to live here. I am going to stay involved.”
Last Election Day (Nov. 3, 2009), mayoral candidate William C. Thompson. then City Comptroller almost created the greatest political upset in New York City. In the end, after a heady campaign, he lost the race to billionaire incumbent Michael Bloomberg by a measly 4.6 percentage points. The city was reeling with would, coulda, shouldas.
While Thompson was outspent approximately 15-to-1, Bloomberg’s $100 plus campaign only managed to eek out his win.
Thompson said it was because he rose the issues that average New Yorkers could relate to, on top of Bloomberg-fatigue, plus discontent with the Mayor’s reworking of the rules to snatch a third term opportunity for himself.
While many folk predicted that he might wait it out until 2013, it is a ways away. Asked what his day job is going to be, Thompson replied in that affable way New York has come to know; “I don’t know yet. I am going to continue to talk to and listen to the people, because I provided a voice in this city, which spoke to a number of people. I want to continue do that for the next few years; and then as mayor.”
In 2013 a whole host of hopefuls may be lined up agendas and fundraising disclosures in hand. Would that deter him?
“I have no idea who’s going to run,” he said. “I didn’t let that deter me before.”
So if Bloomberg decides that a fourth term has a good ring to it, the AmNews asked if Thompson may reconsider his decision?
“I opposed the third term, I would oppose a fourth term,” he said swiftly. “But, I don’t think that is going to happen.
“In 2013 I am going to run for mayor – that’s what I am going to do.’
Will he teach, lecture, go into the private sector for a couple of years?
Thompson said that while he knows he will stay on top of all the issues of significance that he raised during his campaign, “I’m not sure what I’m gonna be doing [in terms of a job.] I’m not sure what the vehicle will be.”