Another candidate for New York City mayor has switched parties. Tom Allon, president and chief executive of Manhattan Media and former Democrat, announced this week that he would become a Republican as a way of increasing his chances of appearing on the ballot in 2013. In August, George T. McDonald, a financier who is considering a mayoral run, also switched his party affiliation from Democrat to Republican.
At least five prominent Democrats are expected to run for mayor in New York City next year, meaning that the primary bid will be much easier for Republicans. According to Allon, New Yorkers need more centrists like current Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who switched from Democrat to Republican in 2000 and from Republican to Independent in 2007.
I happen to agree that our city’s next mayor should be a centrist and should not pander to party expectations. However, I also want a mayor who will stick to his positions and who sees more significance in his party affiliation than the size of its candidate pool.
That is not to say that politicians should not be allowed to switch parties — if one’s views truly change, then it is necessary to change one’s affiliation to match them. Allon and McDonald, however, have expressed no significant change in their political views to match the change in their party registration.
Based on his positions, namely campaign finance and education reform, Allon really does seem like a centrist candidate. So if party affiliation does not matter in terms of his platform, why should Allon run as a candidate of either major party? Running as an independent would be just as strategic in terms of getting himself on the ballot, and it would do less to distort the meaning of political parties.
One’s party should represent one’s politics. I am a registered Democrat because I agree with the main tenets of that party’s platform. But politicians who agree with neither major party — a very respectable opinion — should not hold themselves as representatives of one or the other simply to gain electoral advantage. This practice distorts the meaning of political parties and waters down their message.
Allon and McDonald may have a more open playing field in the primary elections if they are the only Republican candidates for mayor. But do Republicans want to vote for a candidate who does not truly represent them? If a true Republican enters the race, he or she will take the base away from these candidates who threw themselves in with that party on the off chance that their campaigns will be easier. But New Yorkers should vote for a mayor who is honest about his positions and chooses his or her party based on the one which best represents his ideology, not the one who has the fewest candidates.
A version of this article appeared in the Wednesday, Oct. 17 print edition. Jessica Littman is deputy opinion editor. Email her at [email protected].
Frederick Smith • Oct 17, 2012 at 6:45 am
I enjoyed reading your piece and you are obviously an intelligent and concerned person but you are wrong about Mr. Allon. If you look closely at what he said, you”ll find that he cited “systemic corruption” in the NYC Dem party as his main reason for leaving. This endemic corruption is something that New Yorkers have long been abused by and are unfortunately largely inured to. It is likely the main reason that NYC has such abysmal turnout numbers on election day (one of the lowest in the nation).
We need to change this.
We need more politicians like Mr. Allon, who are running outside of this corrupt system and have the courage to talk to the public about it honestly.