The race to fill Public Advocate Mark Green’s shoes is shaping up to be a surprisingly competitive, anyone-can-win contest – for a job that critics say has no real power and should be abolished.
The gung-ho field of five Democrats includes: Assemblyman Scott Stringer; former city Parks Commissioner Betsy Gotbaum; City Council members Stephen DiBrienza and Kathryn Freed; and New York Civil Liberties Union leader-on-leave Norman Siegel.
The battle for the $150,000-a-year post – first in line if the mayor’s position is vacated – is expected to be overshadowed by the race for City Hall, making it difficult for anyone to predict the outcome.
“It’s under the radar screen,” said Marist College pollster Lee Miringoff.
“That means whichever candidate is best known is going to be key” in this November’s election.
Experts don’t expect anyone to win 40 percent or more of the primary vote – meaning a runoff between the top two finishers is likely, as it is in the Democratic mayoral primary.
No Republican has thrown his hat into the ring yet, and no strong GOP contender is expected to emerge.
Created in 1994, the public advocate is supposed to be the troubleshooter for New Yorkers using city services – investigating complaints, monitoring agencies, recommending improvements.
In separate interviews with The Post, the candidates offered different approaches for how they intend to run for the office and put their stamp on it.
At 40, Stringer is the youngest in the field and said that makes him well suited for the upcoming government shake-up, as citywide offices and most of the City Council changes hands because of term limits.
“It’s almost a generational change,” Stringer said. “I want to be part of that.”
One of the advantages Stringer has is the backing of many of his fellow Democratic state lawmakers, who offer him helpful mini-political machines in every borough.
While observers peg Stringer as the slight early favorite, they see Siegel as the wild card.
The proudly left-leaning lawyer has made a name for himself taking on Mayor Giuliani, but he has never run for elective office before – and said he won’t compromise his principles.
“People have counseled me not to talk about the race issue,” Siegel said. “But so many of the issues have racial overtones. I want to have a citywide dialogue.”
Gotbaum, president of the New-York Historical Society, is a “blast from the past” hopeful who also has never held public office – and plays up her “outsider” status.
“I’m not part of the system,” said Gotbaum, who served as parks boss under former Mayor David Dinkins. “I think the others are, in different ways.”
Rounding out the field are two veteran City Council members – DiBrienza and Freed.
DiBrienza, the only non-Manhattanite, said he wants to broaden his community activism beyond his Brooklyn district.
“I add a dimension that no one else can bring – being an advocate for neighborhoods throughout the city,” he said.
Freed, who represents lower Manhattan, said because of the expected influx of new faces on the City Council, the public advocate will have to act as a kind of “super councilmember.”
“I have the greatest knowledge about how city government works,” Freed said.
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PUBLIC ADVOCATE CANDIDATES (The field)
SCOTT STRINGER
Current job: State assemblyman
Age: 40
Home: Manhattan
Message: Legislative experience
Money raised: $640,823
Prominent supporter: Rep. Jerrold Nadler
Top adviser: Jon Houston, consultant
Odds: 4-1
STEPHEN DIBRIENZA
Current job: City Councilman
Age: 46
Home: Brooklyn
Message: Fighter for neighborhoods
Money raised: $355,490
Prominent supporters: Rep. Anthony Weiner; actress Bebe Neuwirth
Top adviser: Andrew Kennedy, research and mailings
Odds: 6-1
NORMAN SIEGEL
Current job: Executive director, New York Civil Liberties Union (on leave)
Age: 57
Home: Manhattan
Message: Ease racial tensions
Money raised: $187,523
Prominent supporter: Hollywood honcho David Geffen
Top adviser: Richard Starkey, ex-Gov. Cuomo press aide.
Odds: 6-1
BETSY GOTBAUM
Current job: President, New York Historical Society
Age: 62
Home: Manhattan
Message: Outsider
Money raised: $686,602
Prominent supporters: Former Mayor Ed Koch; media mogul Michael Bloomberg
Top adviser: Hank Sheinkopf, consultant
Odds: 7-1
KATHRYN FREED
Current job: City Councilwoman
Age: 54
Home: Manhattan
Message: Knowledge of government
Money raised: $369,372
Prominent supporters: To be announced next month
Top adviser: Lincoln Mitchell, consultant
Odds: 10-1