Mayor Adrian Fenty is hoping an endorsement from New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg will resonate with D.C. voters as proof that Fenty is an able administrator for the District.
Bloomberg and Fenty gathered reporters at the recently opened Carmine’s Italian restaurant in Chinatown on Tuesday afternoon to announce the endorsement that Bloomberg said he had “penciled in” years ago when Fenty decided he would seek a second term. It comes exactly four weeks before the Sept. 14 primary, and at a time when at least one poll has indicated Fenty is trailing his chief rival, D.C. Council Chairman Vince Gray, by 8 percentage points.
“The endorsement says that people who know about running a city … believe people in my administration have been able to tackle issues and have had success and should continue for another four years” Fenty said.
Bloomberg tuned into a Fenty mantra in his endorsement, saying the District’s mayor makes “tough, smart decisions,” and he “gets the job done.”
The two mayors have had a close relationship thoughout Fenty’s four years in office, with Bloomberg playing the role of adviser to the younger Fenty. On Tuesday, Fenty noted that he “stole” everything from New York City’s 311 city services call line system, to his approach to school reform and even the formation of his bullpen-style office in the Wilson Building.
But “D.C. voters aren’t going to go into a polling booth on Sept. 14 and say ‘Oh, wait, Bloomberg,’ and then vote for Fenty,” said political consultant Chuck Thies, who is working on Councilman Jim Graham’s Ward 1 campaign.
“This says to me that Fenty is clutching at straws, and is desperate to show some kind of support,” Thies said.
Last week, Fenty took a new tack during a televised debate with Gray: apologizing to his constituents. “As mayor, I didn’t make the adjustment I should have [from being a councilman],” Fenty said. “I haven’t done a good job of communicating and including people,” adding that he’d do better in his next term.
Meanwhile, Bloomberg could use a little more support in his own city.
In November, he won a third term by a margin of 50.6 percent to 46 percent after massively outspending his opponent. A Marist Poll released Aug. 10 found that Bloomberg’s approval rating among New Yorkers had dipped to 49 percent, marking the first time it has been below 50 percent in the same poll since 2005.
Fenty stressed that Bloomberg’s outsider status in Washington was key to his ability to persuade District voters.
“[Bloomberg] doesn’t have any stake in the future of D.C.,” Fenty said.
