Democratic mayoral contender joins Massey campaign

Josh Thompson drops out of race, will aide CushWake exec on education and homelessness

From left: Paul Massey, Josh Thompson and Bill de Blasio (Credit: Twitter and Facebook)
From left: Paul Massey, Josh Thompson and Bill de Blasio (Credit: Twitter and Facebook)

One of the few Democrats to challenge Mayor Bill de Blasio’s re-election campaign had decided to end his bid and join Paul Massey’s camp.

Josh Thompson, a 31-year-old disciple of New Jersey U.S. Senator Cory Booker, is joining Massey’s campaign as director of policy and outreach, focusing on education and homelessness, the Wall Street Journal reported.

“This election has nothing to do with party politics,” Thompson said in a phone interview with the newspaper.

Massey, a Republican, said he was “thrilled.”

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The addition of Thompson should provide some policy expertise for Massey, who failed to articulate his position and policies on several key topics during a press conference he held outside City Hall last month.

Massey so far has shaped his campaign around attacking de Blasio on issues such as homelessness and the myriad of investigations into the mayor’s fundraising and administration.

Thompson’s departure from the race also thins out the crowd of Democratic challengers in the primary. Several higher-profile Democrats, such as City Comptroller Scott Stringer, are said to be sitting on the sidelines waiting to see if federal and state investigations will alter the race.

De Blasio has denied any wrongdoing. [WSJ]Rich Bockmann