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CNN Live At Daybreak

Polls Open in New York City for Mayoral Race

Aired November 06, 2001 - 06:12   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Polls opened about 15 minutes ago in New York City. Watching that high-profile race is Anthony Johnson. He's with our affiliate WABC. Let's have a closer look the mayor race in New York City.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANTHONY JOHNSON, REPORTER WITH CNN AFFILIATE WABC (voice-over): For Mark Green, there was no let-up in the final race for votes.

After months of campaigning and millions of dollars, it comes down to willpower and bitter attack ads, with Green firing an election-eve blast at Bloomberg over employee lawsuits.

ANNOUNCER: He could have gone to court to clear his name. Instead, Bloomberg bought her silence.

JOHNSON: Green worked his way through the five Burroughs during the night, at one point packing supporters into a Manhattan restaurant. But not far off, Al Sharpton was coming out of an hours' long meeting on what to tell Latino and African-American voters, still upset over Green's treatment of Fernando Ferrer and the Democratic primary.

AL SHARPTON, CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST: It is clear that some in Mr. Green's campaign does not want to express and show the kind of inclusiveness and sensitivity that one would think, for Mr. Ferrer, who got 49.2 percent of the vote, toward the Bronx County leader toward myself and the constituencies that we represent. And I think that that is unfortunate.

MARK GREEN, MAYORAL CANDIDATE: I can bring this city together and represent black, white, Latino, Asians throughout the whole city, I hope to get everybody's vote. And if I don't get his, so be it.

JOHNSON: Sharpton held back from calling for a voter boycott, but he says he simply can't support Green, and that could be one more boost for Mike Bloomberg, already on top of the Empire State Building. He shared the city lights with Mayor Giuliani and with tourists eager to get a souvenir photo.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There you go, ladies. Turn around with the Mayor and Mike.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're very confident.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right.

JOHNSON: The race is deadlocked, but on the streets last night, both men appeared confident.

MIKE BLOOMBERG, MAYORAL CANDIDATE: You've got to call people. We will win tomorrow, but only if people get out to vote.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: And that was a report from Anthony Johnson with our affiliate WABC. Once again, that mayor's race in New York City too close to call at this point with the polls open 18 minutes. We'll be tracking it throughout the day. Stay with CNN for the latest election results in New York, and also across the country.

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