NY Mayoral Hopefuls Court Religious Communities

New York's Jewish Week today carries a long article on the candidates in New York City's upcoming Sept. 13 mayoral primary. With 4 Democrats and 2 Republicans in the races, the article reports on how candidates are appealing to the interests of New York's religious communities. Two of the Democrats are supporting faith-based initiatives, despite broader opposition to them in the Democratic Party. Democrat Anthony Weiner proposes to appoint a "nonprofit czar" to find housing for large, religious families, work to keep Catholic schools open and devote more police to protecting yeshivas. Council Speaker Gifford Miller, also a Democratic candidate, surrounded himself with Jewish social-service leaders at a kosher food pantry to highlight the nearly $12 million allocated by City Council for the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty. Not to be outdone, incumbent mayor and Republican candidate Michael Bloomberg's campaign spokesman said that no one trumps the mayor in helping the faithful help the needy.