Christine Quinn leads her Democratic
rivals in next year's race to succeed New York City Mayor Michael
Bloomberg.
According to a
NY1/Marist College poll released Monday, Quinn is 20 points ahead
of her closest Democratic primary challenger, former City Comptroller
Bill Thompson.
If elected next year, Quinn, who is
preparing to marry her longtime partner, lawyer Kim Catullo, on May
19, would become the city's first openly gay mayor. And the first
legally married, openly gay politicians to lead a major U.S. city.
In December, former Mayor Ed Koch
endorsed Quinn's campaign after New York Police Department
Commissioner Ray Kelly declined his calls to enter the race.
“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,” Koch said.
“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,” he
added. “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.”
The 45-year-old Quinn currently serves
as Speaker of the New York City Council. Koch,
Quinn and Bloomberg lobbied for New York's gay marriage law.