Spitzer gets 27,000 signatures to get on NYC ballot

NEW YORK, July 12 (UPI) -- Former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer says he collected seven times the amount of signatures needed to get on the ballot for New York City comptroller.

Spitzer announced in a Sunday night interview with The New York Times he would seek the office of fiscal watchdog of the Big Apple and Monday he officially began collecting the 3,750 necessary signatures from registered Democrats to be eligible to be on the ballot of the Democratic primary in September.

In the Times interview, Spitzer said he was asking for the forgiveness of New Yorkers.

Spitzer resigned as governor in March 2008 amid threats of his impeachment by state lawmakers after he admitted he patronized a high-priced call girl service many times.

Spitzer, like many New York candidates, delivered his 27,000 petition signatures personally to the city's Board of Elections and easily met the midnight deadline Thursday, the New York Daily News reported.

"To those who said it was not possible over the course of 3 1/2 days to gather enough signatures to get a candidate on the ballot for citywide office, I'm proud that citizens in an outpouring of support have given us more than 27,000 signatures," Spitzer told the media at the Board of Elections.

New York City and state candidates routinely collect many more signatures than required by law, because attorneys from candidates and parties in key races might make a strong effort to disqualify as many signatures as possible.

Next on Spitzer's agenda is to board a plane for California for an appearance on NBC's "Tonight Show with Jay Leno" Friday.

Scott Stringer, Manhattan borough president, is also running in the Democratic primary for comptroller.

In an NBC//Wall Street Journal/Marist Poll released Wednesday, 42 percent of registered Democrats favored Spitzer, while 33 percent favored Stringer, USA Today reported.