De Blasio Will Be Dems' NYC Mayoral Candidate

New York City mayoral candidate Bill Thompson conceded the Democratic primary race to frontrunner Bill de Blasio today, averting a runoff and clearing the way for de Blasio to campaign for the general election. Thompson endorsed de Blasio at City Hall, saying he was proud to support him as the party's nominee to "make this city work for all New Yorkers again." "The path to getting there begins with Bill de Blasio walking through these doors as the next mayor of the city of New York," Thompson said.

The potential October 1 runoff had loomed as another act in the Democratic drama over trying to elect a successor to three-term Mayor Michael Bloomberg—a fight that would keep Democrats tilting at each other while Republicans and independents looked ahead to the general election. With Thompson out of the race, de Blasio will face Republican nominee Joe Lhota and independent candidates November 5. "Bill de Blasio and I want to move the city forward," Thompson said. "This is bigger than any one of us." (More Bill Thompson stories.)