The Rev. Floyd Flake has thrown his support behind Mayor Michael Bloomberg's bid for a third term –- another blow to the campaign of City Comptroller William Thompson.
Flake, a former congressman, is one of the leading clergy members in New York City. A senior pastor of the Greater Allen African Methodist Episcopal Cathedral in Queens, he is a preeminent figure in the religious and African American communities. Joining Flake in the endorsement was Rep. Barbara Clark (D-Queens) -- the first sitting black elected official to endorse Bloomberg over his African American opponent.
"Mike is someone who acts independently and governs in a non-partisan manner," Flake said, lauding the mayor's priorities in job creation, entrepreneurship and education.
Flake backed Bloomberg in 2005, but not in his first-term bid in 2001.
"He has a tremendous amount of influence and credibility across the city," Bloomberg's campaign manager, Bradley Tusk, told WNYC. "He's extremely popular in Southeast Queens, which is a major area for us where we hope to get a lot of votes."
Tusk told The New York Daily News that both Flake's and Clark's endorsements "are very meaningful to us – and from a strategic standpoint they are extremely helpful to our efforts." Flake and Clark are, "surrogates for our campaign, validators in their communities and critical to our long-term goals," he added.
The two endorsements would have been uplifting for the Thompson campaign, which has been saddled by Bloomberg's bank account and vast influence with city playmakers. Endorsements from black leaders also eat away at Thompson's voting base, forcing him to spend more time campaigning in a community many thought he'd have locked up. But the comptroller's people say they have already lined up plenty of black officials to support his bid to be the city's mayor.
"New York City has thousands of churches, synagogues, mosques and many other houses of worship. One minister does not speak for all of them," said spokeswoman Anne Fenton. "Religious leaders and working families throughout New York City will support Bill Thompson because they are looking for change and a mayor who recognizes the issues affecting their communities."
Local
It's been a challenge for Thompson to get his message out as efficiently as the deep-pocketed Bloomberg, who doesn't accept public funds and therefore has no limit on how much he can spend on his campaign. As of last month, the billionaire mayor spent $7.5 million on his re-election campaign – more than seven times what his Democratic opponent has – with the election still six months away.
