Outgoing City Comptroller Bill Thompson is making some decisions about his future after a surprisingly narrow loss to Michael Bloomberg in the mayoral election -- and he is reportedly considering challenging Senator Kirsten Gillibrand in next year’s primary elections.
Challenging Senator Gillibrand is one of three options being mulled by Thompson and his advisers, sources close to Thompson told theNew York Times.
Thompson is also considering a run against the state comptroller, Thomas P. DiNapoli, in the primaries, or returning to the private sector and then returning to government -- and maybe running again for mayor in 2013, the report said.
With the primary 10 months away, he is expected to make a decision on whether to run for office by mid-January, the Times said.
Thompson lost to Mayor Bloomberg by five points -- even as the billionaire mayor spent a record breaking $100 million to assure his election to a third term.
Thompson's campaign was beset by mismanagement and he struggled to raise money, pulling in less than $6 million. Pundits also said he often failed to communicate his central criticism of Bloomberg, which was the mayor's move to change the term limits law. Thompson also campaigned heavily on the theme that Bloomberg had dismissed low and middle income New Yorkers in favor of wealthy friends and developers.
Meanwhile, Thompson got only generic support from the Democratic White House, but this week, President Barack Obama invited Thompson to a state dinner in honor of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Thompson, a Brooklyn native, has had a long track record in government. A lawyer by trade, he's served as comptroller, city council member and was the president of New York City’s Board of Education.
