Bloomberg Spends Big Bucks

NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg (I) spent at least $102M of his own fortune on his successful -- if underwhelming -- bid for a third term, according to a report filed 11/27 with the city's Campaign Finance Board.

Bloomberg's spending is a record for a self-financed campaign for any public office in the U.S.; he spent roughly $174 for each of the 585K votes he received in defeating Comp. Bill Thompson (D). Public polling had shown Bloomberg coasting by Thompson in the weeks before 11/3, but Hizzoner won by a much narrower margin, capturing less than half of the votes cast.

The Bloomberg camp admitted after the election they had used their vast coffers to portray an air of inevitability around Bloomberg's candidacy, knowing that the final vote tally would likely be much closer. Still, Bloomberg outspent Thompson roughly 14-to-1, but defeated him by fewer than 50K votes.

The post-election filings won't be the final word on Bloomberg's '09 largesse. The lavish win bonuses received by top Bloomberg camp staffers in past City Hall bids are the stuff of legend. Reports with those dollar figures won't be released until after the New Year, by which time Bloomberg will have been sworn in for a third time.

Thompson's future, meanwhile, is murkier. The New York Times on 11/26 floated the possibility, raised earlier this month in the Daily News, that Thompson could challenge Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand in a Dem primary.

Thompson declined to discuss the possibility while volunteering on Thanksgiving Day in the SoHo section of Manhattan.

(STEVEN SHEPARD)