Mayor’s Nod Could Tip Assembly Race to GOP
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Mayor Bloomberg is backing a Republican Assembly candidate on the Upper East Side, a move that could dramatically alter the race and help the GOP send its first Manhattanite to Albany in years.
The mayor’s endorsement, delivered days before the June 5 special election, comes as Mr. Bloomberg’s candidate, Gregory Camp, and Micah Kellner, the Democrat, are preparing for the only debate of the race, to be held Friday night on NY1.
In his endorsement, the mayor praised Mr. Camp for his “powerful background in finance and criminal justice and a proven track record of non-partisan, independent thinking.” He urged voters on the Upper East Side and Roosevelt Island to support him.
Mr. Kellner, 28, a former aide to Rep. Carolyn Maloney and Comptroller William Thompson Jr., has support from his former bosses and from other city Democrats, including Speaker Christine Quinn and Manhattan’s president, Scott Stringer.
Mr. Camp, 45, is a former investment banker, prosecutor, and deputy director of criminal justice for New York State.
The special election will fill the seat vacated by Alexander “Pete” Grannis, who sat on the Assembly for 33 years before stepping down to become commissioner of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
The campaign has taken a nasty turn in recent days, with Mr. Camp releasing an open letter to his opponent, challenging him pointedly to a debate.
“As someone who believes in accountability, transparent government, and a free and open exchange of ideas, I agreed to this debate without a moment’s hesitation,” Mr. Camp wrote in the letter. “I was hoping that you would do the same.”
Mr. Kellner had declined to participate in a debate scheduled for Monday night at the Lenox Hill Neighborhood House, citing a scheduling conflict.
Mr. Kellner’s campaign, meanwhile, is trying to link Mr. Camp with the Bush administration, a strategic move in a district where Democrats outnumber Republican voters by nearly three to one, and where President Bush is unpopular.
A campaign spokesman, Evan Stavisky, said voters should demand to know why Mr. Camp stands with President Bush, Karl Rove, and the Republican Party.
“The Republican Party is clearly out of touch with the values and concerns of New York voters,” Mr. Stavisky said.
Mr. Camp supports women’s right to legalized abortion and gay marriage, and is opposed to the death penalty.
