Bill Thompson drops out of New York City mayoral race

Updated at 12:05 PM today

Vote count continues in Democratic primary for NYC mayor

de Blasio back on campaign trail Saturday ::

De Blasio, Thompson campaign for mayor

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new york city politics, bill de blasio, politics & elections

NEW YORK (WABC) -- Bill Thompson has conceded the Democratic primary and dropped out of the New York City Mayor's race.

"It would be a disservice to my supporters, a disservice to Democrats and, most of all, a disservice to the people of New York City who are desperate for a new direction," Thompson said in explaining why he was ending his campaign.
Even though he was dropping out of the race, Thompson called on the Board of Elections to count all the votes cast during the primary.
"If this were a general election with consequences about the fundamental direction of our city, you can bet I'd fight until the very last vote," he said, calling for reform to the election process.
He is also endorsed Bill de Blasio as the Democratic nominee at the event, which is believed to have been organized by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.
"The best way to return fairness and decency, justice and dignity, hope and equality to every neighborhood in New York is to return a progressive to City Hall," Thompson said.
De Blasio was standing behind Thompson. He says he had the honor to work with Thompson for many years. He says there was "no man of greater integrity."
The change of heart comes as Thompson's advisors saw some of the results of this weekend's recanvassing of voting machines.
The counting of paper ballots almost a week after residents headed to the polls to vote in the primary will continue.
The Board of Elections spent the weekend double checking the counts on 5,059 voting machines. Now, they turn to 78,000 paper ballots, making up 11 percent of the vote.
Primary winner Bill de Blasio is currently slightly about the 40 percent mark that he needed to avoid a runoff with Thompson, who garnered 26 percent of the vote.