Bill de Blasio endorsed for Public Advocate by Diaz

Bill de Blasio endorsed for Public Advocate by Diaz

Borough President Diaz made an endorsement in the upcoming primary and general election for the citywide office of public advocate at a packed street festival he hosts every year.

Senator Ruben Diaz Sr. and Assemblyman Marcos Crespo joined Borough President Diaz onstage in endorsing public advocate candidate Bill de Blasio in the upcoming September 15 Democratic primary and the general election in November.

The endorsement took place before thousands at borough president’s annual street festival on Morrison Avenue between Westchester and Watson Avenue on Saturday, August 16.

“I am proud to stand here today to voice my support for Bill de Blasio,” Diaz said. “From leading the fight against the Mayor’s undemocratic extension of term limits last fall, to his recent proposal to reform community policing in the city, Bill continually defends the rights of New Yorkers ahead of the celebrity of elected office.”

De Blasio, a councilman from Brooklyn, is one of Mayor Bloomberg’s sharpest critics when it comes to the extension of term limits. He has said previously that he would be proud to follow in the footsteps of current Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum, who has declined to seek a third term.

“I am honored to receive the support of Borough President Diaz, a proven and dedicated advocate for the Bronx,” de Blasio said. “For far too long, our city’s government has been responsive to the needs of Manhattan while ignoring the needs of the outer boroughs.”

De Blasio’s opponents in the primary include former Public Advocate Mark Green, civil rights attorney Norman Siegal, and Queens Councilman Eric Gioia.