Alan G. Hevesi, an assemblyman from Queens, last Tuesday defeated incumbent Elizabeth Holtzman in a special runoff election to win the Democratic nomination for New York City comptroller. Hevesi will face Republican-Liberal candidate Herman Badillo in the November general election.
The runoff came after Hevesi narrowly defeated Holtzman in the primary two weeks earlier, but failed to receive the minimum 40% required to win the nomination. In Tuesday's runoff, Hevesi received 171,558 votes, or 67%, compared to 83,367 votes for Holtzman, or 33%.
Holtzman has been hobbled by the recent disclosure of a city Department of Investigation report on a loan to her failed U.S. Senate campaign. The campaign received a $450,000 loan from Fleet Bank.
The department investigated conflict of interest charges relating to the loan and the subsequent selection of Fleet Securities as an underwriter of city bonds. The report also says that the department has launched a second investigation into Holtzman's general fund-raising activities.
Throughout his campaign, Hevesi has called on the city to sell more bonds through competitive bidding. Currently, the city sells most of its debt through negotiated bidding.
