# 2013 New York City Comptroller election

"none" is preferred when the title is already sufficiently detailed; see [[WP:SDNONE]]
Elections in New York State :
Federal government
Presidential elections
1792
1796
1800
1804
1808
1812
1816
1820
1824
1828
1832
1836
1840
1844
1848
1852
1856
1860
1864
1868
1872
1876
1880
1884
1888
1892
1896
1900
1904
1908
1912
1916
1920
1924
1928
1932
1936
1940
1944
1948
1952
1956
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996
2000
Dem
2004
Dem
2008
Dem
GOP
2012
2016
Dem
GOP
2020
Dem
2024
Dem
GOP
U.S. Senate
1789
1791
1795
1796 sp
1797
Jan 1798 sp
Aug 1798 sp
Apr 1800 sp
Nov 1800 sp
1801
1802 sp
1803
Feb 1804 sp
Nov 1804 sp
1807
1809
1813
1815
1819–20
1821
1825–26
1827
1829 sp
1831
1833
1833 sp
1837
1839–40
1843
1845 sp
1849
1851
1855
1857
1861
1863
1867
1869
1873
1875
1879
1881
1881 sp
1885
1887
1891
1893
1897
1899
1903
1905
1909
1911
1914
1916
1920
1922
1926
1928
1932
1934
1938
1938 sp
1940
1944
1946
1949 sp
1950
1952
1956
1958
1962
1964
1968
1970
1974
1976
1980
1982
1986
1988
1992
1994
1998
2000
2004
2006
2010
2010 sp
2012
2016
2018
2022
2024
U.S. House
1789
1790
1791
1st sp
1793
1794
1796
1798
1799
1st sp
1800
1801
5th sp
1801
6th sp
1802
1803
6th sp
1803
7th sp
1804
1st sp
2nd and 3rd sp
1805
2nd and 3rd sp
1806
1808
12th sp
1810
2nd sp
1812
6th sp
1813
15th sp
1813
2nd sp
1814
1815
6th sp
1815
12th sp
1816
20th sp
21st sp
1817
4th sp
1818
1821
6th sp
1821
9th sp
1822
1823
28th sp
1824
1826
1827
29th sp
1828
5th sp
1830
6th sp
20th sp
1832
1834
1836
17th sp
30th sp
1838
1840
1841
26th May sp
26th Nov sp
1842
1844
1846
12th sp
1848
1850
1852
1854
12th sp
1856
1858
1859
4th sp
1860
31st sp
1862
1863
14th sp
1864
1866
1868
1870
1872
1874
1876
1878
1879
12th sp
1880
32nd sp
1881
9th sp
11th sp
22nd sp
1881
27th sp
1882
1884
1885
8th sp
1886
15th sp
1888
1889
6th sp
9th sp
27th sp
1890
1891
2nd sp
10th sp
1891
12th sp
22nd sp
1892
1894
14th sp
15th sp
1895
10th sp
1896
1897
3rd sp
1898
1899
34th sp
1900
1902
26th sp
1904
12th sp
1906
8th sp
1908
3rd sp
1910
1912
26th sp
1913
13th sp
20th sp
1914
1915
31st sp
1916
1917
15th sp
1918
7th sp
8th sp
21st sp
22nd sp
1920
14th sp
26th sp
1922
1923
11th sp
16th sp
19th sp
24th sp
32nd sp
1924
1926
1927
35th sp
1928
32nd sp
1929
21st sp
1930
18th sp
1931
7th sp
9th sp
1932
1933
34th sp
1934
1935
2nd sp
22nd sp
1936
1937
27th sp
17th sp
25th sp
1938
1939
34th sp
1940
14th sp
22nd sp
31st sp
1941
14th sp
17th sp
1942
1944
4th sp
11th sp
21st sp
1946
19th sp
1947
14th sp
1948
24th sp
1949
7th sp
10th sp
20th sp
1950
1952
5th sp
32nd sp
1954
1956
22nd sp
1958
1959
43rd sp
1960
23rd sp
1962
6th sp
1964
1966
17th sp
1968
13th sp
1970
1972
1974
1976
1978
18th sp
21st sp
1980
1982
1983
7th sp
1984
1986
6th sp
1988
1990
14th sp
18th sp
1992
17th sp
1994
1996
1997
13th sp
1998
6th sp
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2009
20th sp
23rd sp
2010
29th sp
2011
9th sp
26th sp
2012
2014
2015
11th sp
2016
2018
14th
25th sp
2020
22nd
27th sp
2022
19th sp
23rd sp
2024
3rd sp
26th sp
2025
21st sp :
State government
New York gubernatorial elections
1777
1780
1783
1786
1789
1792
1795
1798
1801
1804
1807
1810
1813
1816
1817
1820
1822
1824
1826
1828
1830
1832
1834
1836
1838
1840
1842
1844
1846
1848
1850
1852
1854
1856
1858
1860
1862
1864
1866
1868
1870
1872
1874
1876
1879
1882
1885
1888
1891
1894
1896
1898
1900
1902
1904
1906
1908
1910
1912
1914
1916
1918
1920
1922
1924
1926
1928
1930
1932
1934
1936
1938
1942
1946
1950
1954
1958
1962
1966
1970
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022
Attorney General elections
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022
State Comptroller elections
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022
State Senate elections
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
State Assembly elections
99th district, 2006
2008
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
State elections by year
1811-LtGSE
1844
1846
1847-JSE
1847
1848
1849
1850
1851
1852
1853
1854
1855
1856
1857
1858
1859
1860
1861
1862
1863
1864
1865
1866
1867
1868
1869
1870
1870–JSE
1871
1872
1873
1874
1875
1876
1877
1878
1879
1880
1881
1882
1883
1884
1885
1886
1887
1888
1889
1890
1891
1892
1893
1894
1895
1896
1897
1898
1900
1902
1903
1904
1906
1907
1908
1910
1912
1913
1914
1916
1917
1918
1919
1920
1921
1922
1923
1924
1926
1927
1928
1930
1932
1933
1934
1936
1937
1938
1939
1940
1942
1943
1944
1946
1949
1950
1952
1953
1954
1956
1958
1959
1960
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1972
1973
1974
2002
2006
2008
2009
2010
2012
2016
2018
2020
2021
2022
2024 :
New York City
Mayoral elections
Pre-consolidation:
1850
1854
1856
1857
1859
1861
1886
1888
1890
1892
1894
Post-consolidation:
1897
1901
1903
1905
1909
1913
1917
1921
1925
1929
1932
1933
1937
1941
1945
1950
1953
1957
1961
1965
1969
1973
1977
1981
1985
1989
1993
1997
2001
2005
2009
2013
2017
2021
2025
City Council elections
Pre-consolidation:
1808
Post-consolidation:
1897
1899
1901
1903
1905
1907
1909
1911
1913
1915
1917
1919
1921
1923
1925
1927
1929
1931
1933
1935
1937
1939
1941
1943
1945
1949
1953
1957
1961
1965
1969
1973
1977
1981
1985
1989
1993
1997
2001
2005
2009
2013
2017
2021
2023
2025
Public Advocate elections
1897
1901
1905
1909
1913
1917
1921
1925
1929
1933
1937
1941
1945
1949
1953
1957
1961
1965
1969
1973
1977
1981
1985
1989
1993
1997
2001
2005
2009
2013
2017
2019 (special)
2019
2021
2025
Comptroller elections
1897
1901
1905
1909
1913
1917
1921
1925
1929
1933
1937
1941
1945
1949
1953
1957
1961
1965
1969
1973
1977
1981
1985
1989
1993
1997
2001
2005
2009
2013
2017
2021
2025
Borough president elections
1897
1901
1905
1909
1913
1917
1921
1925
1929
1933
1937
1941
1945
1949
1953
1957
1961
1965
1969
1973
1977
1981
1985
1989
1993
1997
2001
2005
2009
2013
2017
2021
2025
The Bronx
Brooklyn
Manhattan
Queens
Staten Island :
Albany
Mayoral elections
2005
2009
2013
2017
2021 :
Buffalo
Mayoral elections
1881
1977
1981
1985
1989
1993
1997
2001
2005
2009
2013
2017
2021
2025 :
Rochester
Mayoral elections
1997
2001
2005
2009
2011 sp
2013
2017
2021 :
Syracuse
Mayoral elections
2009
2013
2017
2021
2025 :
vte :
The 2013 election for New York City Comptroller was held on November 5, 2013, along with elections for Mayor, Public Advocate, Borough Presidents, and members of the New York City Council.
The first-term incumbent Comptroller, John Liu, did not run for re-election, as he decided to run in the 2013 election for Mayor of New York City. The Democratic Party nomination was won by Scott Stringer, who defeated former Governor Eliot Spitzer, who resigned in disgrace in 2008. John Burnett was the Republican nominee.
On Election Day, Stringer handily defeated Burnett and various third-party candidates, winning 80.4% of the vote.

## Democratic primary

New York City borough President Scott Stringer was considered to be the front runner for the Democratic nomination, having raised nearly $3.5 million as of July 7, 2013. When former New York governor Eliot Spitzer announced his intention to run for the office, he brought a larger challenge to Stringer. In 2008, while governor, Spitzer resigned amid a prostitution scandal. His name recognition as a former governor was expected to help him in the election, while the scandal was expected to harm his chances. "I'm hopeful there will be forgiveness, I am asking for it," Spitzer said, commenting on the scandal. "Politics is a contact sport," Spitzer said on July 8, on radio's The Bill Press Show. "I made significant errors. I stood up, accepted responsibility, resigned. It's now been five years, I hope the public will extend its forgiveness to me."
Coincidentally, Spitzer was running against Kristin M. Davis (who was running as a Libertarian), his former madam who had helped him get call girls as governor. She spent three months in prison for running an escort service. "This is going to be the funnest campaign ever," she told The New York Daily News. "I’ve been waiting for my day to face [Spitzer] for five years," Davis said. "I sat ... in Rikers Island, I came out penniless and nothing happened to him. The hypocrisy there is huge."
Stringer's campaign immediately responded to Spitzer's candidacy. On July 8, his campaign manager released a statement saying, "Scott Stringer has a proven record of results and integrity and entered this race to help New York's middle class regain its footing. By contrast, Eliot Spitzer is going to spurn the campaign finance program to try and buy personal redemption with his family fortune. The voters will decide." The statement alluded to Spitzer's family fortune. Prior to Spitzer's announcement, Stringer had already received several endorsements from candidates in the mayoral election, most of whom did not withdraw their endorsements after Spitzer's announcement. One of the first to publicly state her support of Stringer was Christine Quinn, who is the Speaker of the New York City Council. She stated, "Scott Stringer has been an exceptional borough president with the highest ethical standards. He has my full support and I will do whatever I can to help him become the next comptroller of the City of New York."
Spitzer appeared on CNBC's Morning Joe on July 9, and was visibly emotional when asked about what he had learned the past five years.
Stringer's fundraising soared dramatically after Spitzer's announcement. During the week of July 8, Stringer raised over $100,000. In all, Stringer had spent just over $679,000 and had $3 million on hand. Spitzer declared that he could use his family fortune to finance his campaign. Although he hired staffers to collect petitions, Spitzer's campaign did not list any major spending during the then most recent filing period.
On July 11, a deadline passed for candidates to file an ethics report. Several of the candidates, most notably Spitzer, did not file the report in time. Not filing a report can lead to a fine of between $250 and $10,000. However, there was a 1-week grace period before any penalties were enforced. A lawyer representing Spitzer's campaign said the candidate was "very busy" last week working on filing petitions with the signatures he needed to secure a spot on the Democratic ballot. A spokesperson for Stringer's campaign stated, "The old Eliot Spitzer supported stringent ethics disclosure. Just as we've seen on his decision to abandon campaign spending limits he once supported, it's increasingly clear that Eliot Spitzer believes there are two standards in public life—one for him, and one for everyone else." Even with that news, Spitzer was still leading in polls conducted.
In an ad that began airing during the week of July 22, 2013, Spitzer admitted that he "failed-big time." He went on to say, "I hurt a lot of people. When you dig yourself a hole, you can either lie in it the rest of your life, or do something positive. That's why I'm running... Everyone, no matter who you are, deserves a fair shot. I'm asking voters to give the same for me."
News coverage about the election (and, more specifically, Spitzer's attempt at redemption) were mixed. On July 18 CNN host Jake Tapper talked about Spitzer's "incredibly reckless and ... very illegal" prostitution scandal. In an interview on The Colbert Report, comedian Stephen Colbert noted Spitzer's lead in the polls by asking, "Do you [Spitzer] think that signals progress for our country or the slow decay of our moral values?" After Spitzer began laughing, Colbert declared, "This isn't Charlie Rose motherf**ker!" Speaking about Spitzer's own qualifications Colbert asked if Spitzer was "at once and the same time above and below this job?" He later asked, "Shouldn't the job of comptroller go to someone who has shown a modicum of self-comptrol? Why should the people trust you?" "The totality of a record," Spitzer suggested, such as his time as Attorney General, make him a suitable candidate. In 2010, after the initial scandal, Colbert told him he could be honest with him because Spitzer had "no public image to uphold." However, Politico blogger Gary Bauer suggested that, unlike Anthony Weiner (who was running for mayor), Spitzer seemed to be redeeming himself. Similarly, the Los Angeles Times noted that, while Spitzer's past had hurt him, voters were beginning to forgive him, noting that, unlike Weiner, Spitzer stopped his behavior immediately after leaving office.
Stringer defeated Spitzer in the primary election, 52.1% to 47.9%.

### Candidates
#### Declared

* Eliot Spitzer, former Governor of New York
* Scott Stringer, Manhattan Borough President

#### Withdrew

* Daniel Garodnick, New York City Councilman

#### Declined

* John Liu, incumbent Comptroller (running for Mayor)
* Domenic Recchia, New York City Councilman (running for Congress)
* Anthony Weiner, former U.S. Representative (running for Mayor)
* David Yassky, Chairman of the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission and candidate for Comptroller in 2009

### Polling

| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Eliot Spitzer | Scott Stringer | Other | Undecided |
| PPP | September 7–8, 2013 | 683 | ± 3.8% | 45% | 41% | — | 14% |
| Quinnipiac | September 6–8, 2013 | 782 | ± 3.5% | 43% | 50% | 1% | 7% |
| Marist | September 3–6, 2013 | 556 | ± 4.2% | 47% | 45% | <1% | 7% |
| Quinnipiac | August 28–September 1, 2013 | 750 | ± 3.6% | 45% | 47% | — | 7% |
| Siena | August 19–28, 2013 | 505 | ± 4% | 50% | 35% | — | 15% |
| amNewYork/News 12 | August 22–27, 2013 | 600 | ± 4% | 46% | 43% | — | 10% |
| Quinnipiac | August 22–27, 2013 | 602 | ± 4% | 46% | 46% | — | 8% |
| Marist | August 12–14, 2013 | 355 | ± 5.2% | 53% | 34% | 1% | 11% |
| Quinnipiac | August 7–12, 2013 | 579 | ± 4.1% | 56% | 37% | — | 7% |
| Siena | August 2–7, 2013 | 505 | ± 4% | 44% | 35% | 2% | 19% |
| Marist | July 24, 2013 | 551 | ± 4.2% | 49% | 32% | 2% | 17% |
| Quinnipiac | July 18–23, 2013 | 507 | ± 4.4% | 49% | 45% | — | 6% |
| Quinnipiac | July 8–14, 2013 | 738 | ± 3.6% | 48% | 33% | 1% | 19% |
| Marist | July 8–9, 2013 | 546 | ± 4.2% | 42% | 33% | 1% | 24% |

### Results

2013 New York City Comptroller Election Democratic Primary Results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Scott Stringer | 314,285 | 52.1 |
| | Democratic | Eliot Spitzer | 288,739 | 47.9 |

## Republican primary

John Burnett, a Wall Street financier, ran unopposed for the nomination of the Republican Party. In mid-July 2013, he announced he would release his personal tax returns. New York Republican consultant William F. B. O'Reilly opined that Burnett would have a reasonably strong chance of success in the election if Spitzer won the Democratic primary.

### Candidates
#### Nominee

* John Burnett, financier

## Major third parties

Besides the Democratic and Republican parties, the Conservative, Green, Independence and Working Families parties are qualified New York parties. These parties have automatic ballot access.

### Conservative
#### Nominee

* John Burnett, financier

### Green
#### Nominee

* Julia Willebrand, activist, candidate for Mayor in 2001 and candidate for New York State Comptroller in 2006

### Working Families
#### Nominee

* Scott Stringer, Manhattan Borough President

## Minor third parties

Any candidate not among the six qualified New York parties (Democratic, Republican, Conservative, Green, Independence and Working Families) must petition their way onto the ballot; they do not face primary elections.

### Libertarian
#### Nominee

* Hesham El-Meligy, activist

#### Withdrew

* Kristin M. Davis, former Madam with ties to Eliot Spitzer's prostitution scandal and Anti-Prohibition Party nominee for Governor in 2010

### Socialist Worker
#### Nominee

* John W. Studer

### School Choice
#### Nominee

* John L. Burnett

### War Veterans Party
#### Nominee

* Richard Bozulich, publisher

## Results

On Election Day, Stringer handily defeated Burnett and various third-party candidates, winning 80.4% of the vote. Burnett received 16.7% of the vote.
General election results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Scott Stringer | 776,700 | 75.48% |
| | Working Families | Scott Stringer | 50,862 | 4.94% |
| | Total | Scott Stringer | 827,562 | 80.43% |
| | Republican | John Burnett | 141,854 | 13.79% |
| | Conservative | John Burnett | 28,574 | 2.78% |
| | School Choice | John Burnett | 1,207 | 0.12% |
| | Total | John Burnett | 171,635 | 16.68% |
| | Green | Julia Willebrand | 20,566 | 2.00% |
| | Libertarian | Hesham El-Meligy | 5,349 | 0.52% |
| | Socialist Workers | John Studer | 2,013 | 0.20% |
| | War Veterans | Richard Bozulich | 1,240 | 0.12% |
| | | Write-ins | 614 | 0.06% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 1,028,979 | 100% |