The primaries are here, and Bill de Blasio expects to see runoff

Democratic front-runner Bill de Blasio Monday predicted Tuesday’s mayoral primary would result in a runoff between the top two finishers, even as polls showed him within reach of winning the nomination outright.

De Blasio, campaigning with his wife, Chirlane McCray, Monday at Carroll Gardens’ P.S. 58, urged his supporters to vote and not to take his lead for granted.

“The numbers say that there will be a runoff. And we want people to be clear about that and to be girded for the next phase of this battle,” he said.

Undecided voters could be a critical factor in determining whether de Blasio, the city’s public advocate, reaches the 40% threshold needed to avoid an Oct. 1 runoff, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released Monday. MORE