On Tuesday, former Mayor Ed Koch announced his endorsement of current City Council speaker Christine Quinn to succeed Bloomberg in New York's next mayoral race in 2013.
Koch said that although Police Commissioner Ray Kelly was his first choice, Kelly had privately told Koch he would not be seeking office. Therefore, Quinn was the next best thing.
Koch explained his decision, making sure to reference himself at least once in each sentence:
I urged Ray Kelly to run for the last year-and-a-half. He told me he would not. I urged him again, he told me he would not. And when he decided he would not, I started backing Chris Quinn. I believe that she is the best one for New York because I think she'll be in the tradition of being in the center-a center candidate like I was center left. I think she'll follow in the tradition of Mike Bloomberg, and of all the candidates, I think she has the most experience and the best philosophy to lead New York in these difficult times.
In an October poll, Kelly ranked as the front runner among potential mayoral candidates with 25 percent of the votes. Christine Quinn and Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz followed with 17 and 14 percent respectively.
Even if Kelly runs, Quinn has proven to be a force to be reckoned with, as she's garnered some heavyweight support of her own. The Times reported in August of Mayor Bloomberg's "worst-kept secret in City Hall" that he'll be endorsing Quinn for 2013, an endorsement that could prove extremely influential considering Bloomberg's business supporters.
Political analysts contend however, that the mayor's support could also potentially hurt Quinn with liberal voters.
Quinn recently distanced herself as being the "mayor's pet" in an independent lawsuit against Bloomberg himself, challenging the city's homeless policy requiring homeless adults to prove their need for housing.