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Dr. Lenora Fulani Confirmed She “Is Considering” A Run for Office Next Year, Possibly Mayor or Public Advocate
In 2006, Dr. Fulani filed an Exploratory Committee with the Campaign Finance Board. She said she “has been meeting with individuals and various groups throughout the city in order to assess the viability of a campaign.” Dr. Fulani has not yet made a decision, but said if she did run, it would be on the Independence Party line. The possibility of Dr. Fulani running for Mayor adds to those already in contention: NYC Comptroller William Thompson, who continued his candidacy even after Mayor Bloomberg signed a repeal of term limits; Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion, whose name is being floated to join the Obama administration; State Senator Eric Adams, who has suggested he might run for the office if Thompson decided not to; and NYC Council member Tony Avella, who has advocated a variety of reforms within the Council. Dr. Fulani was instrumental in introducing Michael Bloomberg to minority communities in NYC. Her “Bloomberg on C” campaign gave minorities (who otherwise might have been resistant to vote for Bloomberg on the Republican line) the opportunity to vote for him on the Independent Party line. Dr. Fulani brought together elected officials and community organizers from throughout the city under the name Coalition of Outsiders, which assisted the Independence Party in getting out the vote for Bloomberg. On Election Night, Dr. Fulani reflected on Mayor Bloomberg's decision to sign the law allowing him to run for a third term, saying “I think it's an outrage, an insult, and obscene. The people had already determined what we had wanted. If he wanted to change it, and do it in good faith, he would have put it back on the ballot, and we would have had a referendum. Not doing that is like a slap in the face of the people who invested in him, because he was going to be different. I think it is a real betrayal of people who trusted him.” If Mayor Bloomberg sought the Independence Party's endorsement, or to run on the Independence line, “He has to come with some major, major, major changes. He had to go beyond where he is. As far as I am concerned, he should change his mind.” It's time for a different approach.
 Mary Alice: I have known Leonora Fulani for many years; she has probably been around NY politics as long as I have (35 years). I have a lot of respect for some of her core positions; like ballot acess (despite her own contradictory actions in this regard at times); party reforms; political reforms; legislative and public-policy initiatives;etcetera. She has also bravely spoken out on many issues -much to my satisfaction and liking. However, I think the time has come for Ms. Fulani to change her tactics and strategies -if she is serious- since running symbolic candidacies for offices she demonstrably cannot win, have not advanced the causes many of us commonly concern ourselves with. The time, energy, monies, human capital and other resoucrces could be better allocated and/or applied. I will always wish her luck; but after years and years, and many races run, I think she needs to re-evaluate her approach to all this.
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 has significant political capital. She is why Bloomberg got elected in the first place. I saw it with my own 2 eyeballs.
Can you put a vote total on your term:"significant"?
I just spoke to Dr. Fulani. The following stats come from her. In 2005, 47% of the Black vote, other than on the Democratic line, went to Bloomberg. The Independent line received a huge percentage of that vote, even though the first line on the ballot was the Republican line, and Bloomberg's name was recognizable as the siting Mayor. Dr. Fulani said that for 30 years she has been encouraging the Black community to come outside the box, and vote Independent. Of the 47% of the vote mentioned above, none was Democratic. She said in 2005, Bloomberg received 60% of the overall citywide vote -- 60% of which was Independent, 47% Black, and 33% Latino. Dr. Fulani said the 2005 vote reflected a "coming together of a new alliance that was referred to as Black and Independent." Regarding 2001, Dr. Fulani said Bloomberg beat Mark Green by 35,000 votes. Bloomberg got 59,000 votes on the Independent line. According to Dr. Fulani, the Independent line was the margin of victory for Bloomberg in 2001. She said if Bloomberg was not on the Independent line, he would have lost the election. BTW, in 2005, I observed the process up close and personal by attending a few Independent Party and Coalition of Outsiders meetings.  It's the Independence Party, not Independent. I don't mean to quibble, but in politics there is a difference (like when people use the word reactionary instead of reactive), and given that the mayor will probably run as an Independent in 2009 it's worth noting. :-) Manny Burgos, Of course she is running for public office in 2009. How else can she bilk the Campaign Finance Board for taxpayer money for her cult if she doesn't run! It's a disgrace that NYC's public campaign finance system can be used by nutjobs and cult figures like Fulani to get government money for their organizations. This evening at 7:00 P.M. please watch CNN, Listen to Dr. Omar Ali, leading independent expert, who will tell you the real deal of why Democrats and Republicans are not the solution to our countrys problem.
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