Advocate runoff a waste at $20M

There’s going to be one definite runof✤f election next month — for public advocate.

The race for an office with a measly budget of $2.3 million was headed for an Oct. 1 runoff after City Councilwoman Letitia James won the five-way Democratic primary Tu🌃esday night with less 🐼than 40 percent of the vote.

Under state election law, she now has to face the se🔯cond-place finisher, state Sen. ꦅDaniel Squadron.

That means taxpayers will be pickiဣng up the tab, estimated 🍬at about $20 million — whether or not there’s a need for a runoff in the Democratic contest for mayor.

James, who represents the Fort Greene and Clinton Hillꦉ sections of Brooklyn, led Squadron, 36 to 33 percent, with 97 percent of election precincts reporting.

Reshma Saujani came in at 15 percent and Cathy Guerriero was at 13 percent🅘, while Sidique Wai trailed with 3 percent.

Squadron — who represen♐ts Williamsburg and Greenpoint and who grabbed a key endorsement from The New York Times — outspent James by more than two to one, raising a total of $3.6 million to her $1.5 million.

James derided the lack of affordable ho⛄using an🌸d got the backing of the Working Families Party.

The Public Advocate’s Office will be left vacant with the departure of Bill de Blasio, who won the Democratic mayoral primary. The office, created in 🎶1993, is meant to be a watchdog over the government but has also served as a springboard for higher office. The public advocate is first in line to replace the mayor in case of an emergency.

In 2010, Mayor Bloomberg blasted the office and c༒alled to have it abolish🧔ed, saying it was “a total waste of everybody’s money.”

In other races, Upper West Side Councilwoman Gale Brewer grabbed the De🦄mocratic nomination in the Manhattan borough pres𝓰ident’s race.

Brewer was outspent heavilꦑy by 🎃Julie Menin, a former chairperson of Community Board 1, who raised $1.8 million for the race. Despite her deep pockets, Menin ended up in fourth place, behind Brewer and Council members Jessica Lappin and Robert Jackson.

Also, former Councilwoma♔n Melinda Katz won the Democratic nomination for Queens borough president over Astoria Councilma💧n Peter Vallone.

Katz grabbed 44 percent to Vallone’s 33 percent.

Community organizer Everly Brown garnered 12 percent of the vote in the race for the Queens nomination𒀰 while State Senator Tony Avella received 9 percent o🍸f the vote.

Incumbent Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz cruised to an easy victory in the Democratic primarꦯy for his office with 84 percent of the vote.

Diaz, an entrenched politician, had been expected t💃o trounce the political neophyte Mark Escoffery-Bey in that race.