New York City – Bill Thompson: I’m Running For Mayor in 2013

New York City – The 2013 race for New York City mayor is on.

Former Comptroller William C. Thompson Jr., who lost to Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg in an unexpectedly close race in November, said on Tuesday that he had decided to run for mayor again in four years.

“I am not running for office this year; it is my intention to run for mayor in 2013,” he said in an interview. “While I have been flattered by the large number of people who have reached out to me to suggest that I run statewide this year, the issues I raised in New York City — the need for good-paying jobs and closing the affordability gap — those are issues I still feel strongly about.”

“While it’s a great state, I grew up in the city and love the city, and feel like I am uniquely qualified to be the mayor,” he said.

Mr. Thompson had been weighing whether to challenge Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand or the state comptroller, Thomas P. DiNapoli, in this fall’s Democratic primaries, but ultimately decided to continue to focus on city politics. His surprisingly close loss to Mr. Bloomberg, who spent roughly 14 times what Mr. Thompson spent in the campaign, elevated his standing in Democratic circles and led to curiosity about his next move.

Mr. Thompson said he would stay active in the public sphere as he plots his 2013 campaign, an unusual situation that will most likely find him the only declared candidate for the next couple of years. He also said that he was still deciding about his short-term future in the private sector but was not inclined to return to his previous career in public finance.

“I’m not going to fade away; it’s important to stay involved and talk about the issues that impact New Yorkers,” he said. “I don’t know what the public vehicle will be, or how I’m going to continue to stay out there, but I am going to do that.”

As for Mayor Bloomberg, Mr. Thompson said: “Where I see the mayor is right, I will say that, where I see he is wrong, I will say that also. I’m not coming into it with preconceived notions.”

He did offer thoughts on the rivalry between Gov. David A. Paterson and Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo, who are expected to vie for the Democratic nomination for governor this year. Mr. Thompson said Mr. Paterson “got dropped in unexpectedly as governor, he continues to speak out on fiscal issues, he’s been the voice of fiscal sanity.”

He appeared to brush off the notion that a run for the governor’s office by Mr. Cuomo would be divisive. In recent days, the governor’s father, Basil A. Paterson, and Representative Charles B. Rangel have suggested that a candidacy by Mr. Cuomo would inflame racial tensions.

Mr. Thompson appeared to have a different view. When asked if he thought it would be a bad idea for Mr. Cuomo to run, he said, “People could have used that same line and said, when I was running, ‘Don’t you think it’s wrong to run against Mike Bloomberg?’ I don’t think there are any goods or bads. Everybody has to be held to their own decision.”

As for Ms. Gillibrand, he called the senator “aggressive, tough and smart,” but added that she had to continue to introduce herself to New Yorkers.

Asked if Mr. Paterson made the right choice in picking her, Mr. Thompson said: “I’m not going to second-guess. She is the senator and it’s as simple as that.”

Mr. Thompson said he had not had conversations with the Obama administration about a potential Senate candidacy; the administration has warded off potential primary challengers, seeking to bolster the sitting senator’s ability to hold the seat for the party.

As for 2013, Mr. Thompson should face a less uphill fund-raising battle, unless another billionaire enters the race — or if Mr. Bloomberg breaks his promise not to run for a fourth term.

Asked about the latter possibility, Mr. Thompson laughed and said, “Oh God.”