De Blasio was responding to rumors about a number of potential challengers, ranging from
fellow citywide officials Letitia James and Scott Stringer, to former NBA commissioner David Stern, a retired resident of Westchester.
In 2009 he won a bruising
citywide election for Gotham's second - ranked public
official (after the mayor), the public advocate, which Manhattan Institute
fellow Sol Stern says, «is a campaign office» for mayor.