New Yorkers React to John Liu's Comptroller Bid

With the primary election less than one week away in New York, candidates are in full force with their campaigns. But for one candidate running for the office of controller, a recent ad campaign to show his fiscal integrity may have backfired.

City Comptroller candidate John Liu had hoped to instill confidence in his would-be voters through an ad campaign. In it, he tells of his immigrant family’s struggles during his childhood—how he had to make ends meet by working in a sweatshop with his mother.

The problem? His mother told the Daily News that her son had never worked in a sweatshop.

John Liu is still sticking to his story in the run-up to the Democratic primary next week. But the apparent inconsistency in his story has raised doubts in some voters’ minds.

[Patrick Andre, Insurance Agent]:
“So the thing is a controller, the important thing that they have is integrity, and if you don’t have that, and if people don’t believe that you have that, you can’t tell he’s good, and you are dealing with so much money for the city of New York, then he may have a problem getting elected.”

[Carol Cox, New York Resident]:
“I would have a lot of doubts about voting for somebody where I couldn’t trust their honesty.”

[Los Del Anastasio, New York Resident]:
“I wouldn’t vote for him. I think you need to have some integrity, (and) you need to be sincere with people. And then let the public decide for themselves, based on the facts.”

New Yorkers will collectively decide next Tuesday which candidates will move on to the general election on November 3.