NEW YORK (AP) -- Heavily favored Democrat Bill de Blasio has been elected New York City's ombudsman.
With 99 percent of precincts reporting, de Blasio had 77 percent of the vote. The former city councilman faced lesser-known Republican Alex Zablocki. He's an entrepreneur and aide to a state senator from Staten Island.
The public advocate acts as a watchdog of City Hall and takes over as mayor if he cannot serve.
De Blasio has served as a councilman since 2002. Before that he worked for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and was campaign manager for Hillary Rodham Clinton's 2000 U.S. Senate run.
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