Progressive Councilman Brad Lander held a significant first-choice vote lead over Speaker Corey Johnson in the race for city comptroller, according to late election results.
With 96 percent of ballots counted, Lander held an 8.5 percent lead over Johnson, a former mayoral hopeful who dropped out of contention last September, citing mental health issues.
Lander had earned 31.34 percent of the first-choice vote (220,478), while Johnson received 22.51 percent (158,563).
But the race is not yet sealed, as the counting of votes in the ranked-choice voting race will continue in the coming weeks, because none of the candidates reached 50 percent of the first round vote necessary to clinch the primary.
Johnson, who said Sunday during a debate he would not run for mayor if he were to be elected to be the city’s top bean counter, during the race picked up the endorsement of the lion’s share of major city unions such as the UFT and Hotel Trades Council, along with fellow members of the City Council.
Lander got the progressive nods with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez giving him the thumbs up, as well as stamps of approval from Sen Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and other left-wingers. .
At the back of the pack, financial journalist and former Republican Michelle Caruso-Cabrera came in third in the first round, with 13.8 percent of the vote, while state legislative lawmakers David Weprin, Brian Benjamin and Kevin Parker registered below 8 percent as of 11:45 p.m. Tuesday.