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New York • As the New York City mayoral race paused Wednesday for remembrances of the Sept. 11 attacks, the chaotic campaign remained without an answer a day after the primary as to whether the top Democratic finisher, Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, will be forced into a runoff.
With all precincts reporting, the Board of Elections said de Blasio had 40.12 percent of the vote, a whisker above the 40 percent threshold he needs to avoid an automatic Oct. 1 one-on-one showdown with second-place finisher Bill Thompson.
Election officials will recount the votes Friday, according to Board of Elections. At least 19,038 outstanding absentee and special ballots will be added to the total Monday, she said. The new total could push the Democrats into a runoff.
Neither de Blasio nor Thompson addressed vote-counting Wednesday, as both followed city tradition by abstaining from campaigning on Sept. 11.
With de Blasio so close to 40 percent, Democratic leaders may pressure Thompson to drop out of the race in the name of party unity. Exit polling shows de Blasio would handily defeat Thompson in a runoff, 52 to 34 percent, with 9 percent of voters saying they would stay home. But Thompson made clear that he wanted to continue campaigning.