better know a candidate

14 Wild and Crazy Things to Know About Sex Scandal-less Bill Thompson

Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images

You may have heard of these guys, Anthony Weiner and Eliot Spitzer, who have used their private parts quite creatively while in office. But if you’re like us, you know far less about the other individuals — walking, talking, food-consuming, although some would say boring, individuals — running for the offices of mayor and comptroller. In an effort to inform the public of the mostly superficial, vaguely amusing aspects of these politicians’ little-known inner lives, we’ve compiled some cheat sheets. (Previously: Scott Stringer.) Next up: Repeat mayoral underdog Bill Thompson.

Remember this guy? You know him — he ran for mayor against Michael Bloomberg in 2009. No? He didn’t even lose by much! And yet, in a poll this month, 45 percent of New Yorkers said they don’t know enough about him to form an opinion.

He spent $16 per vote in 2009 ($8.3 million total) compared to Bloomberg’s $185 per vote ($108 million total).

He preferred “Billy” in 1996, and still in 2001, but by 2003 decided to go with the more serious (and plain) “Bill.”

City politics is in his blood: Bill’s father is a former state senator, City Council member, and appellate judge on the New York Supreme Court.

Thompson served as New York City comptroller starting in 2002. Yes, the office of comptroller existed before Spitzer decided he wanted it.

Like comptroller candidate Scott Stringer, he has shared rarefied air with Jay-Z (at the 40/40 Club’s tenth anniversary party):

Photo: Johnny Nunez/Getty Images

Thompson accused his second wife of taking his grandmother’s credenza after their divorce. (His lawyer called her “crazy as a loon.”)

In 2009, it was reported that he had cats named Olivia and Emily, two lizards with names withheld, turtles, and a bunch of fish. Lizards!

President Obama once called him “my friend.”

As a teenager, he summered and worked in Hyannis, like a Kennedy.

He made $727,621 last year, more than opponents Christine Quinn, Bill de Blasio, and John Liu combined.

The one on the left. Photo: New York Daily News/Daily News/Getty Images

His middle name is Coleridge, after the British poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

Thompson, tight with the Orthodox Jewish community, returned from vacation in France to help defuse the Crown Heights riots.

He’s “dapper and favors hand-tailored suits.”

The Most Fun Facts About Bill Thompson Ever