Another Elephant in the Room
The “invisible man” of the 1998 comptroller’s race, Blakeman begins exploring ’09 citywide run
April 14th, 2008
Bruce Blakeman finished the 1998 race for New York State comptroller having learned an important lesson: “Don’t run against a well-financed, popular incumbent,” said Blakeman with a laugh. He lost to H. Carl McCall by a 30-point margin.
Ten years later, the Port Authority commissioner and lawyer is considering another campaign, this time for citywide office. A bid for mayor as a Republican seems to be on his mind.
The three potential Democratic candidates—Council Speaker Christine Quinn (Manhattan), City Comptroller William Thompson and Rep. Anthony Weiner (Brooklyn/Queens)—have already begun their own jockeying. Meanwhile, with Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly repeatedly shooting down speculation he will run, the only possible candidate currently being discussed in Republican circles is billionaire grocery store magnate John Catsimatidis.
Blakeman may be looking to change that.
He discussed the possibilities sitting in his law office on 41st St. and Third Ave., directly across the street from the building where Eliot Spitzer announced his resignation. (“I thought I could keep an eye on him,” Blakeman said sadly of Spitzer, whom he calls a personal friend.)
“I have left the door open to the possibility of going back into a public life and [mayor] is a very interesting position where you could do a lot of good for people,” he said.
He did not discuss the possibility of running for public advocate or city comptroller. Talk of being on a ticket with other GOP candidates was premature, he said. And he would not comment on Catsimatidis’ presumed political plans.
The prospective Democratic candidates have already pulled in millions of dollars in donations and continue to do so at a rapid pace. Blakeman, though, would not set a deadline for making a decision before he has had time to adequately gauge his level of support.
“You have to take into consideration who the potential candidates are, and you have to take into consideration whether you are prepared to make that sacrifice,” he said.
No doubt the memory of his 1998 loss is still fresh in his mind. Running against a well-entrenched incumbent was one problem. Name recognition was another—the New York Times at one point called Blakeman “the Invisible Man” for his barely noticed campaign.
He ran in what he knew would be an uphill battle, he said, because public service runs in his blood. His father, Robert Blakeman, was a member of the Assembly in the 1960s, representing Long Island. Blakeman said he remembers campaigning for his father when he was six.
“I was fascinated from a very early age,” Blakeman said.
The younger Blakeman was elected himself to the Nassau County Legislature when it was formed in 1995. He was then selected as its first majority leader and presiding officer. In 2001, he was appointed to the Port Authority by then-Gov. George Pataki (R).
Blakeman moved into Manhattan in 1999.
Blakeman’s only appearances in the press of late were through the reported exploits of his wife, from whom he is separated. Last November, Nancy Shevell, a Metropolitan Transportation Authority board member, was photographed in the company of former Beatle Paul McCartney in the Hamptons.
Blakeman tries to keep the focus on issues outside the tabloid fodder, stressing the continuing importance of terrorism and public safety in the city. Though the city’s crime rate has declined over the years and the Giuliani and Bloomberg administrations have both tackled terrorism with varying degrees of success, Blakeman insists that vigilance is key.
“We don’t want to go backwards,” he said. “We want to make sure that we have a safe community from a homeland security standpoint.”
Even in a city as Democratic as New York, Blakeman thinks Republicans have proven their political mettle to voters.
“There was a point in time when certain Democrats and independents felt that if they pulled the Republican lever that they would be struck by lightning,” he said. “I think based on the performances of both Mayors Giuliani and Bloomberg that Democrats and independents are more open to Republican leadership. There’s a track record of achievement.”
That track record has spurred Blakeman to donate tens of thousands of dollars to Republican officials and organizations over the years, including a $15,000 donation to the Republican National Committee and several thousand dollars to former presidential candidate Fred Thompson.
His fundraising efforts for local officials have also earned him many powerful friends on the local level, said former Staten Island Borough President and GOP kingmaker Guy Molinari (R). Last year, Blakeman hosted a fundraiser for Staten Island District Attorney Dan Donovan (R), who was re-elected.
“Bruce has been around and he has picked up some chits by helping people like that from time to time,” Molinari said.
Molinari said he would prefer Blakeman to Catsimatidis. The Red Apple Group CEO last fall switched his party affiliation from Democrat to Republican in what he has indicated is a step toward a mayoral run.
“Catsimatidis would have the jump as far as having a lot of money. But Bruce has access to a lot of money too. A lot of money,” Molinari said, referring to Blakeman’s personal wealth and strong potential as a fundraiser.
Jennifer Saul Yaffa, president of the New York County Republican Party, said she had a brief conversation with Blakeman about running for mayor a few months ago.
“He’s a really good guy, I’m really fond of him,” Saul Yaffa said. “I think he’s a fabulous, fabulous guy.”
Name recognition could pose a problem for either Blakeman or Catsimatidis, she said, but the race is too far away to worry yet much about that.
“They don’t have name recognition like a Ray Kelly does, either one of them,” Saul Yaffa said.
If and when he decides to run, Blakeman said his campaign will be one of ideas and action. In addition to stressing vigilance on public safety and terrorism, Blakeman said he would build on the successes of the Bloomberg administration, focusing on economic development, job creation, health care reform and transportation improvements.
With term limits soon forcing most elected officials out of office, Blakeman said that 2009 is shaping up to be an interesting year.
“And the good news is there won’t be a popular well-funded incumbent running,” he said laughing. “Whether it’s me or anybody else.”
