This time it’s really, really official: The AP, MSNBC and The New York Times have called the New York City mayor’s race for incumbent Michael Bloomberg.
Earlier, we reported that Bloomberg had won, after The New York Times and MSNBC declared him the winner. Then both news organizations dialed back their calls on the race.
But now they’re back on Bloomberg. With 97 percent of precincts reporting, Bloomberg leads his main challenger, city comptroller Bill Thompson, 51-46.
Though it took longer than expected to confirm, Bloomberg’s win is hardly a surprise. Bloomberg — a billionaire media mogul who will now serve a third term as mayor — spent more than $85 million of his own money on the race, a number that may climb as high as $140 million before it’s all over. Thompson, by contrast, spent just $6 million.
The biggest surprise is that the race was so close — and that it took so long to call for Bloomberg.
