strategies like stop and frisk. >> we can be safer, in fact, if we take the foundation, the core of what we have, and build upon it a better working relationship between police and community. >> reporter: his opponent is backed by his former tough on crime boss, rudy giuliani, who along with michael bloomberg are the mayors credited with reducing crime, cleaning up the city and making new york a good place to live. yet he remains nearly 40 points behind de blasio, a dyed in the wool progressive positioning hmself as the anti-bloomberg. >> after 12 years of mayor bloomberg, it's time for a real change in this town. >> reporter: de blasio has promised to close the money gap between new york city's rich and new york city's poor. >> it's resonating in particular with minority and low income voters. >> reporter: loda, who served as the city's budget director under giuliani and who most recently ran the city's entire transportation system, says de blasio's desire to raise taxes on wealthier new yorkers to fund his universal pre-k programs for the poor underscores de blasio's