The 2013 New York City Public Advocate election was held on November 5, 2013, along with elections for the Mayor, Comptroller, Borough Presidents, and members of the New York City Council. Incumbent Democratic Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, serving his first term, ran for Mayor of New York City rather than seek re-election.
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The Democratic Party held its primary on September 10, and since no candidate reached 40%, a runoff was held on October 1 between the top two candidates, Councilwoman Letitia James and State Senator Daniel Squadron. James won the runoff to become the Democratic nominee.[1][2]
The Republican Party did not nominate a candidate. In the general election, James faced Green Party nominee James Lane and Conservative nominee Robert Maresca as well as various minor party candidates.
James won the general election in a landslide.[3]
Democratic primary
Candidates
Declared
- Cathy Guerriero, adjunct professor at Columbia University and New York University[4]
- Letitia James, New York City Councilwoman (also received the Working Families Party nomination)
- Reshma Saujani, former Deputy Public Advocate and candidate for New York's 14th congressional district in 2010
- Daniel Squadron, State Senator
- Sidique Wai, New York University professor[4]
Declined
- Bill de Blasio, incumbent Public Advocate (running for mayor)
Tone
The runoff between Letitia James and Daniel Squadron was characterized as bitter by most of the media outlets that covered it.[5][6][7]
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Catherine Guerriero | Letitia James | Reshma Saujani | Daniel Squadron | Sidique Wai | Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marist | August 12–14, 2013 | 355 | ± 5.2% | 12% | 16% | 3% | 12% | 2% | 6% | 49% |
| Marist | June 17–21, 2013 | 689 | ± 4% | 16% | 17% | 8% | 4% | — | <1% | 54% |
Primary results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Letitia James | 191,347 | 36.1 | |
| Democratic | Daniel Squadron | 178,151 | 33.6 | |
| Democratic | Reshma Saujani | 76,983 | 14.5 | |
| Democratic | Cathy Guerriero | 69,025 | 13 | |
| Democratic | Sidique Wai | 14,409 | 2.7 | |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Letitia James | 119,604 | 59.1 | |
| Democratic | Daniel Squadron | 83,043 | 40.9 | |
Republican primary
No Republican candidate filed to run for the office.
Major third parties
Besides the two main parties, the Conservative, Green, Independence and Working Families parties are qualified New York parties. These parties have automatic ballot access.
Conservative
Nominee
- Robert Maresca
Green
Nominee
- James Lane, an internet media professional and Green Party activist.
Working Families
Nominee
- Letitia James, New York City Councilwoman from Brooklyn [10]
Minor third parties
The following parties without automatic ballot access succeeded in petitioning onto the ballot:
Freedom
Nominee
- Michael K. Lloyd
Libertarian
Nominee
- Alex Merced, author, columnist, and blogger[11]
Socialist Worker
Nominee
- Deborah O. Liatos
Students First
Nominee
- Mollena G. Fabricant
War Veterans
Nominee
- Irene Estrada
General Election results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Letitia James | 761,058 | 77.87% | |
| Working Families | Letitia James | 53,821 | 5.51% | |
| Total | Letitia James | 814,879 | 83.37% | |
| Conservative | Robert Maresca | 119,768 | 12.25% | |
| Green | James Lane | 16,974 | 1.74% | |
| Libertarian | Alex Merced | 10,419 | 1.07% | |
| Socialist Workers | Deborah O. Liatos | 5,114 | 0.52% | |
| War Veterans | Irene Estrada | 4,216 | 0.43% | |
| Students First | Mollina G. Fabricant | 2,391 | 0.24% | |
| Freedom Party of New York | Michael K. Lloyd | 1,799 | 0.18% | |
| Total votes | 975,560 | 100% | ||