Quinn, Thompson debut new TV spots
NYC comptroller candidate Scott Stringer and mayoral candidates Christine Quinn and Bill Thompson attend an event the Rev. Al Sharpton's House of Justice in Washington Heights. (Aug. 10, 2013) Credit: Anthony Lanzilote
Democratic rivals for New York City mayor, Bill Thompson and Christine Quinn, on Tuesday debuted TV ads seeking to win over voters in the Sept. 10 primary.
Thompson, a former city comptroller, put out two spots -- one called "City of Opportunity" and the other called "Believe" -- as part of his first television ad buy.
The TV spots are meant to provide "a compelling reintroduction of him to voters," Thompson's chief strategist Jonathan Prince said in a morning conference call with reporters.
Thompson was the 2009 Democratic nominee for mayor who came within 5 percentage points of defeating Mayor Michael Bloomberg, but he has yet to lead in the polls among this season's pack of Democratic contenders. He was in second place with 16 percent to Quinn's 25 percent, according to an Aug. 8 New York Times-Siena College poll.
A Quinnipiac University poll with updated results on where the Democratic candidates stand is expected Tuesday afternoon.
In the 32-second "City of Opportunity," Thompson explains that his parents arrived in New York City as immigrants from the Caribbean, and it promotes a plan for the city that includes "good jobs, decent rents" and "safe streets with community policing, not racial profiling."
Prince would not disclose the cost of the ad buy, but said the spots would run on cable and broadcast television.
Quinn on Tuesday released her second TV spot of the campaign, called "Manny's Law." It features the story of a Long Island man, Manny Lanza, who had a brain condition. Lanza died in 2005 at age 24 after he was refused treatment at a Manhattan hospital because he was uninsured.
Lanza's mother, Levia Prieto, of Shirley, narrates the 30-second spot, which highlights Quinn's advocacy of financial-aid programs for uninsured patients. A state law requires hospitals to develop the programs and post notices of their availability.
"Because of Christine Quinn, Manny didn't die in vain, so I love her for that," Prieto says.
Quinn spokesman Mike Morey would not disclose the cost of the ad buy, but said the spots were to run on cable and broadcast channels.
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