Voters in New York City are poised to decide whether to give Mayor Bill de Blasio a second term leading the nation’s largest city.
The Democrat is expected to prevail in a crowded race on Tuesday after facing only token opposition.
De Blasio has campaigned on efforts to increase affordable housing and address his city’s high cost of living. He’s also cited low crime rates and touted his administration’s rollout of universal pre-K for four-year-olds.
The mayor’s first term was dogged by feuds with Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and investigations into campaign donations and pay-to-play politics.
De Blasio’s toughest challenger is Republican state Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis of Staten Island, who has called the mayor ineffective. He also faces several third-party candidates.
De Blasio spent Monday campaigning on Staten Island. He was courting voters at the Cassidy Coles Neighborhood Senior Center in Randall Manor.
Malliotakis spent Monday campaigning in Queens with former Governor George Pataki. She greeted voters at a bakery, a diner and two public schools, touting herself as the common sense alternative to de Blasio.
The latest polls show de Blasio at least 33 points ahead of Malliotakis. However, experts predict voter turnout could hit historically low numbers.
De Blasio won 75 percent of the vote in September’s five-way Democratic primary and has campaigned on his work to lower the crime rate, provide universal pre-K and address income inequality. Malliotakis and Dietl have both blasted the mayor as ineffective.
Voters will also cast ballots for New York City public advocate, with incumbent Democrat Letitia James facing four third-party challengers. Democratic City Comptroller Scott Stringer, meanwhile, faces Republican Michel Faulkner and two minor-party candidates.
The polls are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
(AP)
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Boro Park needs a municipal parking lot immediately. The developers are grabbing all available space. They are putting up multi family buildings. But no one is thinking to have additional parking. There is no planning being done by the powers that be. Property taxes have skyrocketed. Quality of life is going down. It takes forever to get down 16th Ave. have to drive around and around to find a spot. Build us a large municipal parking lot.