Jumaane Williams decisively beat 16 other hopefuls in a freewheeling February nonpartisan special election after his predecessor, Tish James, was elected state attorney general. | Getty Williams easily wins public advocate's race, again

Jumaane Williams easily won Tuesday’s general election to remain the city’s public advocate, besting a pair of challengers in a race that reexamined longstanding questions about whether the office should exist in the first place.

But one of his challengers, Republican Council Member Joe Borelli, came away with a different kind of victory — a low-expectations run that allowed him to raise money, make contacts and raise his name recognition beyond his home borough of Staten Island.


Williams captured nearly 77 percent of the vote with more than three-quarters of precincts reporting, according to preliminary results, handily defeating Borelli, an unapologetic supporter of President Donald Trump who also ran on the Conservative Party line and garnered more than 20 percent. Libertarian challenger Devin Balkind came away with little more than 2 percent.

“I want to make sure that by the time my tenure ends, no one ever questions again what the public advocate is and why we need that office,” Williams said during an election night party in Flatbush.

Tuesday night’s victory capped off a busy election season for Williams. The former Council member from Brooklyn decisively beat 16 other hopefuls in a freewheeling February nonpartisan special election after his predecessor, Tish James, was elected state attorney general. Williams then ran unopposed in a June primary, setting the stage for the general election Tuesday — largely a formality in a city where Democratic voters vastly outnumber Republicans.

“It’s a snooze,” said Douglas Muzzio, a public affairs professor at Baruch College. “It really is.”

The two candidates, who both say they’re friends, differed markedly in their political ideology. Williams supported the recent bail reforms on the state level while Borelli argued they would let dangerous inmates accused of crimes onto the streets.

Neither would have the ability to do much about criminal justice policies in office, though, because the public advocate has virtually no statutory power.

The office was created in 1993 from the scraps of a city government reorganization and is often referred to as a watchdog or ombudsman who can introduce legislation in the City Council, but cannot vote. Instead, the post is widely seen as a taxpayer-funded bully pulpit and springboard for ambitious elected officials with an eye toward higher office.

Both Williams and Borelli have called on the public advocate’s office to have more power in city government. It cost three times the office’s annual $4.5 million budget just to hold the February special election to fill the seat.

Williams has called for the office to have subpoena power and voting rights in the Council. Borelli has suggested placing the Department of Investigation under the public advocate’s office in an effort to insulate it from the mayor. If the office is not granted additional power, Borelli argued, it should be abolished.

The Staten Island lawmaker did not have high hopes about winning the race. When asked whether he would use the post as a stepping stone to run for mayor, he deadpanned, "It's a seven-to-one Democratic city. If I win this race, I'm starting my campaign for mayor the next day.”

However, entering a citywide race with virtually zero expectations of victory can provide other perks that could come in handy down the road. Building name recognition, a donor database and making contacts around the city could all help if Borelli decides to seek higher office in the future.

“It’s a race that he cannot lose — even if he does lose,” Muzzio said.

Fellow Republican and Staten Island Borough President James Oddo said Borelli also had a platform to push back on left-leaning policies of the administration and City Council.

“[Borelli] relishes giving voice to the other side,” Oddo said. “We all know that New York City government is dominated by progressives, and I think Joe likes being the hero for moderate to right-of-center New Yorkers who want to see people push back.”

Williams said Tuesday night that he wished more voters had turned out for the contest to give him a broader mandate to carry out his duties. None of the hopefuls qualified for public matching funds, he added, which he argued made it more difficult to get out the word about his candidacy.

Regardless, he cited a long list of priorities, including promoting more affordable housing and mental health services, that he plans to advocate for over the next four years.