Government
17 Candidates Want to Be NYC’s Public Advocate. Does the Public Care?
A special election for New York City's top watchdog has many asking how the office can be more effective, or if it should exist at all.
New York City’s special election this month may not draw many voters, but the candidates are turning out in droves.
The city’s elections office confirmed last week that 17 names will appear on the February 26 special election ballot to be the city’s next public advocate. On paper, the position is an official watchdog for the people of New York. The person holding the office is tasked with monitoring public information and complaint systems, offering proposals to improve them, and attempting to resolve individual complaints about city services and administrative actions. Perhaps more crucially, the public advocate is first in line to succeed the mayor.