Oliver Koppell, said, “I got 64 percent. Last time I got 76 percent. I think the difference was largely term limits. But part of it was there was a better campaign.”

James Sanders, for whom Michael Bloomberg raised money, said he’s undecided about the mayor's race. “I’m in consultation, I’m in dialogue with both.” When I asked if he’s open to endorsing Bloomberg, Sanders said, “Sure. Or Thompson.”

Alan Gerson, who lost his primary to Margaret Chin, said his vote to support the term limits extension “probably depressed our vote slightly. I don’t think it was a decisive factor." He added, “What was more significant than term limits was the unusually low voter turnout in all the areas except Margaret’s stronghold.”

Domenic Recchia, who played a leading role in getting the term limits extension passed, said, “I didn’t have an opponent. How much of a factor could it have been?”

Darlene Mealy, who voted for the extension and narrowly edged out a victory over former Council member Tracy Boyland, said, “It really wasn’t a factor out here.”

Diana Reyna, who voted for the extension and beat a challenger supported by the Brooklyn Democratic County leader, said, “It was brought up, but not as often as people would have thought.”

Inez Dickens said, about Christine Quinn refusing to commit to supporting Thompson, “I haven’t had a discussion with her about it. Yes, I have read in the paper that she has not yet. But there are others who have not yet endorsed.”

Larry Seabrook, who endorsed Bloomberg in 2005 and voted to extend term limits, said, “I'm with Thompson," and "I think all the Democrats will be endorsing the Democratic nominee.” He said, “When I endorsed the mayor the last time around, I looked at the situation and he was the best guy at the time to deal with those issues.”

But it may not work out that way. In fact, only a handful of the more than two dozen incumbent City Council members are in anything that could be considered a serious race.

Today, The Post identifies four incumbents worth watching: Diana Reyna, Maria Baez, Helen Sears and Kendall Stewart. All voted to extend term limits. To that list, I’d add Alan Gerson and Darlene Mealy. More on those races shortly.

Citizen Union's executive director, Dick Dadey, said if every incumbent City Council member is re-elected, “I’m not sure you can take much stock in it because it’s a low turnout election. There’s not much excitement about the top of the ticket. And low turnouts always favor incumbents.”

In the comptroller race, Citizens Union is backing John Liu. Two other leading candidates, David Yassky and Melinda Katz, both voted to extend term limits, and the other candidate in the race, David Weprin, opposed the term limits extension, but is seen as having less of a chance of winning.

In the public advocate’s race, C.U. announced they’re backing Bill de Blasio, despite his close association with the Working Families Party, which is under scrutiny for the creative way it has found to coordinate expensive field operations with chosen candidates. (The WFP is also backing Liu.)

C.U. wrote that De Blasio can boost the “office’s effectiveness and visibility” and act “as an effective counter to a strong mayor and active council.”

The comment came when opponents Tracy Boyland and Tony Herbert were questioning Mealy about $5,000 in public money she gave to Lynval Samuels (who also goes by Dr. bidi Xili).

During the debate, which aired on New York 1 News last night, Herbert said, “He’s certified EDP, which is an emotionally disturbed person.”

“Look at--all our great leaders are,” said Mealy. The other candidates roared in disapproval. Host Dominic Carter stepped in to change the topic.

Mealy was swept into office in 2006 thanks to support from labor, specifically 1199 and the Working Families Party. But both are sitting out this election because of Mealy’s vote to extend term limits. (Initially, Mealy said she would oppose it, but she ended up voting for it.)

Mealy defended herself from the accusation that she was inconsistent on this issue by invoking the mayor, randomly, and the president.

“So, we’re going to say Mayor Bloomberg flip-flopped,” Mealy asked.

“Are we going to say President Barack Obama flip-flopped? Barack Obama came on national television and said there will be no lobbyists working in the White House. A week later he had a press conference. There will be a lobbyist working in the White House.”

I chatted with him and asked if he’s supporting anyone for mayor. Indeed, he is.

Michael Bloomberg!

Why?

Because Bloomberg is left-handed.

In the paper he was handing out, it said to re-elect “MY Regal(RoYal) Council-LadY” Mealy, along with Marty Markowitz and Bloomberg, because “These Miracle-Left-directions-Politicians were slected by Our – heavnLY Supreme-Father” and were “born to write with their LEFT-hands.”

The hand-out goes on to say that Bloomberg “can be seen in the daily NewsPaPER on page two dated MondaY the 18th of May 2009, with his LeFT-hand over his RighT-hand.”

So, there you go.

It seems like the big winner there is Vito Lopez, the assemblyman and county Democratic chair from Brooklyn. The W.F.P. endorsed two candidates he’s supporting in competitive races.

The first is Stephen Levin, Lopez’s young chief of staff, who is running for the seat being vacated by David Yassky (who is running for comptroller).

The other is Maritza DaVilla, Lopez's co-district leader, who is trying to unseat in incumbent councilwoman Diana Reyna. Reyna has had a falling out with Lopez, for whom she once worked. Reyna has hired Doug Forand of Red Horse Strategies L.L.C. Forand used to be the top strategist for the Democrats in the state senate.

Also noteworthy: the W.F.P. did not endorse incumbents in two notable races.

One of the non-endorsed incumbents is Darlene Mealy of Brooklyn. The party supported in her 2005 race , but she voted to extend term limits, despite their strong objections.

Another incumbent not endorsed by the W.F.P. is Alan Gerson in Lower Manhattan. He’s angered enough people in the district to open the door to several, well-organized challengers. Gerson also voted to extend term limits.

A spokesman for the party said they may endorse in those races later.

Councilwoman Darlene Mealy of Brooklyn, according to a line buried in this NY1 story, has now said she supports putting the issue up for a referendum. Mealy had initially declined to comment on the issue.

Mealy's position was pointed out by the Working Families Party spokesman, who is keeping a running tally of where the Council member stand on this issue.

After voting in favor of the budget, Seabrook told me, “I didn’t put it in -- that was a mistake on their end,” referring to the Council staff.

A spokesman for the City Council explained the mistake, saying that Seabrook had initially asked for the money but later recsinded the request. That later request was not communicated to the Council staffers in time before the Schedule C document was published.

Another group erroneously listed is called “Man Up, Inc.,” which was slated to get $40,000 from City Councilwoman Darlene Mealy of Brooklyn for “personnel, supplies, utilities, etc.” Mealy learned of the group’s “erroneous” funding when I approached her after voting for the budget. “This is the first time I’m seeing this,” she said. When Mealy made the remark, she had a stack of papers in her hands, including the public "note" released by the City Council saying the funding was listed erroneously. (The Council spokesman declined to comment on how she could have been taken by surprise.)

Among the other take-backs:

Parkville Youth Organization’s $5,000 for "sports uniforms and equipment” from City Councilwoman Sara Gonzalez of Brooklyn was withdrawn. According to the group’s web site, it is a “Not-for-Profit corporation chartered by the State of New York,” and has operated since 1963.

A $41,414 request by City Councilwoman Helen Foster for SCAN-New York Volunteer Parent-Aides Association Inc. was also withdrawn . The group had been listed as a fiscal conduit to other, unspecified local groups “within the 6th Council District” for “after school programs/summer camps” and other programs. The group is listed as a funding recipient of $300,000 from the state’s office of Children and Family Services.

A $10,000 request made by City Councilwoman Carmen Arroyo of the Bronx for the group called “For a Better Bronx” was withdrawn. According to their web site, the group works for “environmental justice and countering institutional racism.”

And a $51,714 request for funds made by City Councilwoman Maria Baez of the Bronx for the Alliance for Community Services to “fund trips and recreation activities” was withdrawn. The group is still slated to get a total of $146,500 for similar purposes, at Baez’s request.

“Our intention was to delay, not cancel, this hearing,” Quinn wrote to Mealey, who sponsored the local bill in support of Obama's Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act.

Other jobs on that zany electronic message board:

Policy analyst for Mayors Against Illegal Guns.

Communications Coordinator for Rory Lancman.

Communications Director for the Working Families Party.

Constituent liasion for Diana Reyna.

Part-time legislative director for Darlene Mealy.

A “Press/Community Relations/Legislative Intern” for Darlene Mealy.

And campaign staff for the Working Families Party.

Here is Hiram Monserrate, one of only five City Council members to have voted against a 25 percent pay raise for the council.

The others were Michael McMahon, Andrew Lanza, Darlene Mealy, and Tony Avella.

One insider gave me some speculative reasons for why some of them might have voted this way:

McMahon hopes to run for Staten Island Borough President and this vote will give him ammunition to repel Conservative Party accusations that he's a free-spending liberal.

Lanza doesn't care about Council pay because he's going to the state Senate.

Avella, the only declared mayoral candidate, always objected to increases salaries and taking lulus.

My secret brain trust didn't crack the mystery of Mealy.

As for Monserrate, he explained himself to reporters after the vote by saying that he simply doesn't like the process of awarding himself a pay increase.

Here he is.

-- Azi Paybarah