NYC Mayor Bloomberg has leveled a rare attack on the Democrat aiming to unseat him, comparing their records on education.

At his regular news conference Tuesday – not a campaign event – Bloomberg was asked about City Comptroller William Thompson education plan.

The billionaire mayor said he hadn’t seen it, but said that the issue for voters is clear. He says if voters think city schools are better today than under Thompson’s leadership at the Board of Education, they should vote for him.

Thompson was a school board member from 1994 to 1996 and then president for five years.

Asked about the comment, Thompson tried to downplay the importance of education in the race, calling it just one issue. He didn’t respond directly to the mayor’s criticism.

Thompson became the Democratic mayoral nominee after clobbering Tony Avella, a city councilman from Queens. With 100 percent of precincts reporting, Thompson had 70 percent to Avella’s 21 percent.

(Source: CBS2 HD)