Belafonte on July 30th endorsed New York City Public Advocate Bill de Blasio for mayor over the other Bill – African American former Comptroller Bill Thompson – as the fight for New York’s Caribbean and black votes continues.
“I’ve watched this city go through many ups and downs, and now we’re in a time when we are desperately in need of a man who has a great vision, a great sense of the needs of the community, and a man who is committed to the working people of this city,” said Belafonte in a statement. “Bill’s leadership and his vision and what he sees for this city in terms of healthcare, in terms of hospitals, is absolutely key. … and we encourage all our citizens to pay attention, and put him in as our mayor.”
De Blasio was also endorsed by Caribbean American Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke.
“New York City needs a mayor who respects the rule of all, the civil rights and civil liberties of all New Yorkers, and who will lead by putting an abrupt halt on the excessive use of stop-and-frisk and who will stand and fight alongside me for a national ban on racial profiling,” said Congresswoman Clarke. “Bill de Blasio is such a leader. … [He] represents leadership that embraces the virtues of diversity and an inclusive governance of our town — and I know Bill will stand up for the needs of communities all across the five boroughs.”
A July 29th Quinnipiac University poll showed this week that de Blasio is now in second place after City Council Speaker Christine Quinn with 21 percent of 446 Democratic voters likely to vote for him. That’s compared to 27 percent for Quinn and 20 percent for Thompson. Weiner’s support fell from 26 percent last week to 16 percent following new revelations over sexting.
