The campaign trail was almost entirely quiet Monday on the eve of Primary Day; the anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks took precedent. But Mayor Bill de Blasio's challenger, Sal Albanese, quietly partook in some last-minute campaigning. NY1 Political Reporter Grace Rauh has the story.
The final sprint to Primary Day paused momentarily Monday to mark the 16th anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks. The mayor steered clear of campaigning.
"To honor the memory of those who died, our campaign will not hold any press conferences or other official public appearances," said an aide to Sal Albanese, who is challenging de Blasio in the Democratic primary Tuesday.
Albanese did not seem to think shaking hands at an Upper East Side subway stop was at odds with his earlier message.
"I'm only campaigning in the late-afternoon. I didn't campaign all morning," he said.
De Blasio is expected to win the primary; polls show him far ahead of Albanese, and he raised millions of dollars more from donors than his rival.
"Low turnout benefits Bill de Blasio," Albanese said. "Please come out and vote. This is a close race."
"I don't know the other candidates," one New Yorker said Monday.
But while the mayor's victory seems assured, there is a lack of enthusiasm about his reelection bid and the race in general.
"That's what they do: Just keep walking and pass the buck, and you want people to vote for you," one woman said. "That's why a lot of people are not going to vote."
Turnout will be a factor, and it is expected to be low — lower than four years ago when close to 700,000 Democrats voted in the primary.
Unlike September 11, Primary Day is slated to be a flurry of activity: De Blasio and Albanese plan to campaign across the city, and they are scheduled to hold Primary Night parties in Brooklyn.