Voting Underway For New York's Mayoral, 23rd Congressional Races

November 3, 2009 9:09 a.m. EST

New York, NY (AHN) - New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg was one of early morning voters at polling stations on Tuesday who cast their ballots in a contest that his Democratic rival, City Comptroller Bill Thompson, has positioned as another referendum on term limits. In the 23rd congressional district, a Republican is on track to win the special election despite disunity between the GOP leadership and conservatives.

Bloomberg is seeking an unprecedented third term as an independent with a 60 percent favorable rating, and a double-digit lead in the latest polls by Marist, Quinnipiac University, and SurveyUSA. The 67-year-old billionaire spent his final hours on the campaign trail kicking of the New York City Marathon and holding rallies in Brighton Beach and Jackson Heights.

A lifelong member of the Democratic party who won as a Republican in 2001 but became an independent in 2007, Bloomberg has donated $85.8 million of his wealth for his campaign, according to latest disclosures with the Campaign Finance Board.

He suffered set backs earlier in the race with the loss of endorsements from the Working Families Party, and key unions such as the Correction Officers Benevolent Association (COBA) and District Council 37, who all chose to support Thompson. But he received the backing of the New York Times, the New York Daily News and the New York Post over the course of three successive days last week.

Thompson, meanwhile, has spent a total of $6.6 million for his bid, receiving $5.8 million in private funds and $2.5 in public money. A former President of the City Board of Education, he spent his last campaign day greeting voters on Mulberry Street in Chinatown, and holding a caravan on Linden Boulevard.

Thompson has been hammering Bloomberg about term limits, but has remained somewhat of an elusive figure to voters. He has the endorsement of President Barack Obama, however that support has been notable for its restraint, having been issued as a reply by the White House press secretary during a routine briefing with reporters, and later followed with a "shoutout" and a photo-op with the President during a party fundraiser in New York.

Up north in the largely Republican 23rd congressional district, Doug Hoffman, a Lake Placid accountant with the conservative credentials, is leading the race for the seat of former Rep. John McHugh, a Republican who resigned to accept the appointment of Obama as secretary of the Army.

Hoffman has a narrow lead in Monday's Siena poll, but a 17-point advantage in the latest Public Policy Polling survey. He is up against Democrat Bill Owens, who spent his final campaign day receiving the endorsement of the official GOP candidate in the contest, state Assemblywoman Dierdre Scozzafava.

Scozzafava withdrew from the race over the weekend, citing her sudden drop in polls amid continued conservative criticisms. She was chosen in July by a vote among GOP county chairmen in the 23rd district to become the party nominee for the special election. Early on, she enjoyed a wide lead in the race, but conservatives blasted her for her support for abortion, gay marriage, and a controversial administration bill that would make it easier for workers to form unions.

The endorsement of the Working Families Party, which is allied with ACORN, has also been a point of conservative argument against her.

Hoffman, meanwhile, received a stream of conservative endorsements from former Sen. Fred Thompson, a 2008 White House contender, the Club For Growth and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee.