Candidates make final push in race for New York City Mayor
NEW YORK (WABC) -- Voters head to the polls Tuesday in the race for New York City Mayor, and the candidates are making last-minute pitches for undecided voters.
Incumbent Democratic Mayor Bill de Blasio spent Monday campaigning on Staten Island. He was courting voters at the Cassidy Coles Neighborhood Senior Center in Randall Manor.
He had spent Sunday visiting several churches, reminding voters of his biggest accomplishments, including pre-K for all 4-year-olds and a record low crime rate for the city.
"We decided that there had to be fairness in this city, justice in this city, while becoming a safer city," de Blasio said.
His opponents continued to accuse him of granting favors to big-time donors.
"He has looked for that little loophole to get around the law, to benefit himself and his friends," said Republican state Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis, of Staten Island.
Malliotakis spent Monday campaigning in Queens with former Governor George Pataki. She greeted voters at a bakery, a diner and two public schools, touting herself as the common sense alternative to de Blasio.
De Blasio is seeking his second term leading the nation's largest city. He faces Malliotakis and several third-party candidates, including independent candidate Bo Dietl, a businessman and former detective.
The latest polls show de Blasio at least 33 points ahead of Malliotakis. However, experts predict voter turnout could hit historically low numbers.
De Blasio won 75 percent of the vote in September's five-way Democratic primary and has campaigned on his work to lower the crime rate, provide universal pre-K and address income inequality. Malliotakis and Dietl have both blasted the mayor as ineffective.
Voters will also cast ballots for New York City public advocate, with incumbent Democrat Letitia James facing four third-party challengers. Democratic City Comptroller Scott Stringer, meanwhile, faces Republican Michel Faulkner and two minor-party candidates.
(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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