The race fill the public advocate position, formerly held by Letitia James, is on
Former New York City public advocate Letitia James has moved on to her new role as the state's Attorney General and the race to fill her old position is on. There will be a special election held to determine who will be the city's next public advocate and as it stands, there are more than two dozens candidates competing for the job, reports the New York Times. With the special election scheduled for next month, here's what you need to know.
When is the Special Election?
The special election is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, February 26.
What exactly is the Public Advocate position?
According to the the City Charter, the public advocate is responsible for receiving and investigating citywide and individual complaints "concerning city services and other administrative actions of city agencies." The public advocate presides over City Council meetings, can conduct investigations into agencies where complaints have been made against them, and has the power to introduce legislation, though they can not have a vote. Additionally, the public advocate is next in line of succession if something were to happen to the mayor.
Who's running in the Special Election?
As the Times puts its, "A better question might be: Who is not running?" So far, potential candidates include former City Council speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, City Council members Rafael L. Espinal Jr., Ydanis Rodriguez, Eric Ulrich, and Jumaane Williams. Assembly members Michael A. Blake, who is also a vice chairman of the Democratic National Committee; Daniel O'Donnell, Ronald T. Kim, and Latrice Walker are also candidates.
Candidates will have to submit nomination positions with 3,750 valid signatures from city voters and will also have to file contribution reports by January 15, showing that they've met the minimum fund-raising and spending requirements to qualify. The first candidate to successfully file gets the first spot on the ballot, so this could be challenging for the lesser-known candidates vying for the position.
How does it work?
Well, it's quite different from other elections. The special election is nonpartisan and candidates can't run on existing party lines; they have the option to form their own party labels. For example, the platform that Rafael Espinal is running on promotes his "Green New City" plan for "expanded funding to develop jobs and skills installing solar panels, roof gardens, and urban agriculture." Jumaane Williams platform, called "The People's Advocate," promotes his ability to "serve as a true watchdog for New Yorkers" and Melissa Mark-Viverito's campaign is called "Fix the M.T.A."
In theory, people can choose to rally behind candidates that support values most important to them, can support someone who champions who specific local communities, or however else determines any specific candidate would be suitable for the job.
What's next for whoever wins?
So this is the tricky part: per the Times, the winner will only hold the position for a few months and will need to run for re-election in the fall. There will be primary and general elections, in September and November, respectively, where candidates can run for the position that will offer a four-year term through the end of 2021.
How can I vote?
Voting is as simple as heading to your normal polling site on February 26. If you're not sure where your polling site is, you can find it here. For additional information on how to vote, you can check out the city's Board of Elections website.
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