The Comptroller Race According to Sheinkopf

During an interview on The Perez Notes last night, Democratic consultant Hank Sheinkopf delivered a hypothetical negative ad against Coucilwoman Melinda Katz, one of the leading candidates for comptroller in 2009.

“I haven’t written it yet," said Sheinkopf. "I’m going to write it write now. Somebody can steal this and do what they want with it:

"‘Melinda Katz wants to be comptroller of the city of New York. Her credentials? Well, she was the Land Use Chair of the City Council. Here are some facts. During her Land Use [Committee] chairmanship, New Yorkers lost more affordable housing than in any other time in history. Rents skyrocketed. She’s taken millions from land lords. Some of those landlords'--lets do it this way--

"'She’s taken hundreds of thousands from landlords, slumlords, the worst kind of people. Those who want to jack up our rents and throw us on the street. So there you have it. Melinda Katz, for the landlords. Think she ought to be comptroller? Ha. Absolutely not.'

"That’s the end of her. Put it in a basket.”

In Sheinkopf's opinion, the comptroller’s race will come down to Adolfo Carrion versus David Yassky in a run-off. Carrion doesn’t win the race from the outset, according to Sheinkopf, because his home borough, the Bronx, has fewer voters than other parts of the city and the Hispanic vote isn’t as monolithic as it used to be. Yassky will do well enough because Sheinkopf thinks he’s likely to get the endorsement of the New York Times, as he has in the past.

As for David Weprin--for whom Sheinkopf aide Austin Shafran recently worked--Sheinkopf said, “Not today. He’s got a ways to go,” although he added, “That could change.”

Also running for comptroller are Jim Brennan and Simcha Felder.

I contacted Katz's office for comment and am waiting to hear back from them.

UPDATE: Katz's spokeswoman, Molly Watkins, emailed this response:

"If Hank Sheinkopf is coming up with fake negative ads about Melinda more than a year and a half before the election, he must share our view that she is the candidate to beat in 2009. She has a broad base of support and a deep understanding of the critical role economic development plays in improving the lives of all New Yorkers. She is justifiably proud of her leadership in the Council on not just land use, but on important quality of life issues like affordable housing, education, health and public safety."