FINALLY! Thompson to concede to de Blasio in primary
New York City mayoral candidate Bill Thompson will concede the Democratic primary race to front-runner Bill de Blasio on Monday, averting a potential runoff, two people familiar with the decision said.
Thompson will drop out of the race and endorse de Blasio at an 11 a.m. event at City Hall, according to the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity ahead of the event where the announcement was to be made.
The potential Oct. 1 runoff had loomed as another act in the Democratic drama over choosing a successor to three-term Mayor Michael Bloomberg — a drama that would keep Democrats tilting at each other while Republicans and independents looked ahead to the general election. With Thompson, the Democrats’ 2009 mayoral nominee, out of the race, de Blasio would face Republican nominee Joe Lhota on Nov. 5.