A truckload of cash, but low interest

A DAY AFTER the sleep-inducing primary election that five out of six registered city Democrats avoided Tuesday, the hangover has set in. Mayoral candidate Sal Albanese said the lesson was “money matters” — but low turnout did too.

Here are some takeaways: l The Board of Elections estimated that just 439,963 people voted — a mere 14% of the city’s 3.07 million registered active Democrats.

That’s close to the pathetic 11% turnout of 2009, the worst showing in modern memory. Supporters of Mayor de Blasio point to the Hizzoner’s big margin of victory — he won 74% of the vote, the biggest percentage in decades — but then-city Controller William Thompson tallied 71% in 2009, without the advantage of being an incumbent.

While there have been periodic spikes in turnout for Democratic mayoral primaries, the trend in New York City has been dismal of late.

But there have been exceptions. In 1989, turnout was 50% when David Dinkins bested incumbent Ed Koch. In 2001, it hit nearly 30%, when 785,365 Democrats showed up for a primary delayed by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. l There was record spending by a Bronx City Council candidate who barely won even after his astonishing spree.

Retiring Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj spent a mindbending $716,000 to get just 3,326 votes — that’s $215 per vote. This got him just 368 votes more than his main rival, Marjorie Velazquez, who spent $164,000 ($55 per vote). l The primary also left city taxpayers covering the bill for two high-profile losers with sordid pasts.

In Corona, Queens, ex-convict Hiram Monserrate spent all of the $61,000 he’d raised in donations, so whatever else he owes after losing to Assemblyman Francisco Moya will be picked up by the $100,100 he got in public matching funds.

In Harlem, Thomas LopezPierre, who has a history of anti-Semitic comments, lost badly to incumbent Councilman Mark Levine. Lopez-Pierre raised just $17,000 but spent $57,000. That required him to dip into the $99,180 in public funds he received.

Both Lopez-Pierre and Monserrate will have to return any public money they don’t spend and must back up all spending with documentation to the city Campaign Finance Board.