Mayor Bloomberg spent $7.5 million of his own money – $5 million more than previously known – in his failed bid for nonpartisan elections, records released yesterday show.
Despite the mayor’s extraordinary outlay – much of it spent on numerous mailings – voters overwhelmingly rejected the proposal earlier this month, 70-30 percent.
Opponents were stunned by Bloomberg’s free spending.
State Democratic chairman Herman “Denny” Farrell said, “I think the people of this city are smart enough and no matter how much he spent, they did not allow him to buy the City Charter.”
The nonpartisan measure would have eliminated party primaries for citywide and some other offices.
Forrest Taylor, chief of staff to Council Speaker Gifford Miller, said the $7.5 million “proves you can’t convince New Yorkers to buy a bad idea or product no matter how many millions are spent on advertising.”
Howard Wolfson, who spearheaded the Democratic opposition, called the spending “staggering” and charged the mayor “misled” New Yorkers when his staff insisted just over $2 million had been spent to support the plan.
Mayoral spokesman Ed Skyler responded: “The mayor said he would provide an honest and accurate accounting of what he spent and expects those who funded campaigns against the proposal will do the same, as Campaign Finance Law requires.”
Stefan C. Friedman contributed to this report