The New York Daily News bypassed Democratic candidates for New York City’s office of public advocate and endorsed a Republican because of his support of the city’s now-defunct Amazon deal.
The city tabloid, known for its liberal editorial views, endorsed Republican City Councilman Eric Ulrich among all the 17 contenders (16 of whom are Democrats) in the special election race, as the former public advocate Letitia James became the state’s attorney general in the 2018 election. (RELATED: Ocasio-Cortez Responds To Billboard Shaming Her For Slamming Amazon — It’s ‘Wack’)
One of those Democrats, Assemblyman Michael Blake, The Daily News described as “the smartest, most grounded pragmatist on issues from the closing of Rikers Island to homelessness and beyond. But he loses points for trying to convince this board that he had been a fan, on balance, of the Amazon deal. Turns out he counted himself as a strenuous opponent all along.”
Eric Ulrich Campaign literature (Photo credit: New York State Republican Party)
“Only a vote for Ulrich will set the stage for a real election,” the endorsement says of Ulrich, a supporter of former Republican Ohio Gov. John Kasich.
The large field of contenders means that a winner could become the city’s public advocate with just 6 percent of the vote of what is likely to be a very small fraction of all the city residents (8.6 million) who end up turning out to vote.
“To ensure a competitive primary and general election, New Yorkers should vote for Eric Ulrich, a Queens councilman who is a registered Republican,” the endorsement continues. “Should he win the interim election, the 16 Democrats will certainly primary each other (where a 40% minimum is needed) to face Ulrich in November.”
The Daily News notes, “While the PA has nothing to do with the subways or housing or education or much of anything that the candidates are talking about, Ulrich stands apart on a key issue of the day: He welcomed Amazon coming to Long Island City as the rest of the field was tripping over itself to denounce the deal.”
The special election is scheduled for next Tuesday and the winner will hold the seat until the next election in November.
The Daily News and other New York papers criticized Democrats like New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez who helped sink the Amazon HQ2 deal in Long Island City over the past two weeks.
“…these leaders demonstrate a complete lack of understanding of how tax incentives work. Their so-called ‘victory’ does not mean that there is suddenly $3 billion to be allocated to other projects such as subways. The deal was contingent on the creation of jobs that generate tax revenue,” an opinion writer wrote just a few days ago on the pages at The Daily News.
The paper appears to be writing news stories more critical of the democratic socialist congresswoman who represents a Queens district. The Daily News reported Thursday that Ocasio-Cortez “spent thousands” on Amazon “during campaign — including $300 on chalk.”
Kerry Picket is a host on SiriusXM Patriot 125