Singer Chely Wright on Monday stumped for the New York City
mayoral campaign of Christine Quinn.
City Council Speaker Quinn, once considered the front-runner, has
a shot at heading into a runoff against her strongest opponent,
public advocate Bill de Blasio. In a Quinnipiac University poll
released Monday, de Blasio was leading with 39 percent of likely
Democratic voters. A candidate who reaches 40 percent avoids an
October 1 runoff against the second place finisher.
Quinn is running to become the city's first female and first
openly gay mayor.
“I've been accused of supporting Chris Quinn because, 'Oh,
you're just supporting her because she's gay. You're just supporting
her because she's a woman,'” Wright, who is openly gay, told the
crowd. “Let me talk about the qualities that have propelled Chris
Quinn to be who she is today, a leader in New York. When she came
out years ago, when she started her political career, she didn't do
it in the shadows, she stepped right out and said, 'This is who I am.
This is who I love.'”
Wright went on to describe Quinn as a “powerhouse leader”
before performing for the crowd. (The video is embedded on this
page. Visit
our video library for more videos.)
In an interview with The
Wall Street Journal, Quinn gave her final pitch: “If you
want to make sure the city's progress grows. If we make sure no New
Yorker is left behind. That every neighbor gets to its greatest
potential. Then you need to vote for me. Because I'm the only
progressive in this race who's delivered.”
Polls close at 9PM.