New York, NY —
One of the hottest, maybe the only hot, citywide election this fall, is for the next city comptroller. The four leading Democratic hopefuls, and one newcomer, are working at a fever pitch to raise the money and get the backing they need to win. WNYC's Bob Hennelly is checking in with each candidate ahead of the September 15th primary. Here's the first snapshot of the crowded field. This one of City Council member Melinda Katz.
REPORTER: It is mid-day on the steps of City Hall and a gray sky looks like it is about to open up any second for yet another downpour. Dozens of Teamster officials wait anxiously for 43 year-old Melinda Katz. A few rain drops fall and then the councilwoman arrives:
KATZ: "Hey guys..."
TEAMSTERS:"Hey! here comes the sun "
KATZ:The teamsters endorse and the sun comes out.
REPORTER: The Teamsters affection for Katz is clear. In her powerful position leading the Land Use Committee they believe she has been in their corner. George Miranda heads Teamster Joint Council 16 which represents workers ranging from municipal sanitation employees to the folks that drive the horse drawn carriages in Central Park.
MIRANDA: Melinda has stood solidly with us on organizing campaigns and legislative battles and today the Teamsters with her.
KATZ: Thank you very much. I want to just really also thank all the presidents of the locals that are here today and all the 120,000 members of the Teamsters throughout the entire City of New York.
REPORTER: Her chairmanship put her at the center of controversial re-development proposals, such as the push to re-zone 125th Street in Harlem. Her critics say she's a real estate industry favorite who has been rewarded with campaign contributions.
Her boosters disagree and say she's gone toe to toe with developers to win major concessions, for affordable housin. Katz says she will bring that same tough mindedness when reviewing what companies the city's pension funds invest in.
KATZ: We need to make sure that if they are getting millions of dollars of the hard working men and women of this City that we say to companies all throughout the United States 'well, what are you going to do for New York? How many people are you going to employ from the City of new York? Where are your corporate offices? How many folks are you going to train because there are layoffs all over the City?
REPORTER: So why does Katz think she is qualified to hold the Office of City Comptroller?
KATZ: I think I have spent my last 17 years in public service as a fighter in Albany as a state Assembly member against the HMOs. Before that i was a mergers and acquisitions attorney for the second largest law firm in the City of New York, and in today's time where corporate restructuring and looking at the books of all these corporations throughout the United States to be one of the biggest things you read about in the newspapers every single day, I believe that asset is priceless for the comptroller's office.
REPORTER: The rain never comes and there is more than enough time for all the Teamsters to get a picture with Katz and her one year-old son Carter.
Katz is the only woman running for citywide office, something her campaign aides say will mean a lot in the primary where they expect 60 percent of the voters to be women. For WNYC, I am Bob Hennelly.
REPORTER: you can hear from other contenders for comptroller later this week, and next.