Now there’s not even a long shot running for mayor.
Saying he is focusing on building a media empire, Tom Allon dropped out of the Republican primary for mayor on Monday but promised to make his voice heard on education issues through his publications.
“”When I decided to enter the mayoral race in July, 2011, I had a deep desire to lead this wonderful and unique city and to finally fix our crumbling public education system, the single greatest cause of New York City’s jobs crisis and increasing inequality in the five boroughs,” Allon said in an email statement, which announced that he has purchased City and State Media, operator of a political web site.
“While no longer a candidate, I will continue to passionately and relentlessly pursue a reform agenda as an education activist, a columnist and blogger, and parent of three teenagers.”
Had he continued in the race he would have faced a well-financed field that includes a well-known former public official – former MTA head and deputy mayor Joe Lhota – supermarket magnate John Catsimitidis and George McDonald, founder of a charitable organization, The Doe Fund.
That’s in addition to the well-known Democrats competing in that party’s primary – Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, Comptroller John Liu, Councilman Sal Albanese (who ran in the 1997 race) and former Comptroller William Thompson, the 2009 nominee.
This will be the first year since 1993 without a Jewish candidate for mayor. In that race, Republican Rudolph Giuliani unseated Democrat David Dinkins. In addition to Mayors Michael Bloomberg, Ed Koch and Abe Beame, recent Jewish candidates for the office have included Richard Ravitch, Harrison J. Goldin, Ruth Messinger, Mark Green, Alan Hevesi and Anthony Weiner.
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