Comptroller William Thompson Jr., trying to distinguish himself from an anticipated competitor in the 2009 mayoral race, Speaker Christine Quinn, said that although he “probably” wouldn’t have voted for a proposal to rename a street after a radical black activist, Sonny Carson, the debate transcended Carson.

His remarks, made Tuesday night on NY1’s “Inside City Hall” show, are markedly different from those made by Ms. Quinn, who has said Carson, because of his history of making anti-white statements, does not deserve official recognition from the city.

At the end of the interview, in a statement that appeared to be directed at Ms. Quinn, Mr. Thompson said the “whole situation is unnecessary and should not have been handled this way.”

Mr. Thompson was less exact about his views on the street name proposal, refusing to directly answer questions posed in three different ways about whether Carson deserved the honor.

“It became a lot about the local community having made recommendations,” he said. “It wasn’t about Sonny Carson, should a street be named for him or not.” He said Carson, a convicted kidnapper, did some positive things and some “horribly negative” things in his life.

Mr. Thompson also told NY1 it was appropriate for Ms. Quinn to have fired a council aide, Viola Plummer, who made threats against a council member who abstained from supporting the Carson street name that included his possible “assassination.”

When asked about Plummer’s boss, Council Member Charles Barron of Brooklyn, who has said that white power rules at City Hall and called it was a racist act for Ms. Quinn to have removed Carson’s name from a street name bill, Mr. Thompson refused to criticize him.

“I’m not going to judge Charles on this one,” Mr. Thompson said.