MAYOR: ‘SPEAK’ UP

Blaz meeting hopefuls to replace Viv as Council boss

MAYOR DE BLASIO is holding sit-downs with several candidates vying to be the next City Council speaker, the Daily News has learned.

Four sources told The News the mayor will meet this weekend and next week with several of the candidates who are seek- ing to succeed Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, with one noting there had already been one sitdown.

The Gracie Mansion confabs come as the race heads into the end of November without a clear, front-runner — or a clear favorite of Hizzoner’s.

That’s a change of pace from 2013, when de Blasio backed Mark-Viverito early on in the contest, privately making calls on her behalf and later interced- ing to get the Brooklyn party chair to get on her side.

But four years later, the mayor is decidedly less popular than he was fresh off his 2013 bid, when the Progressive Caucus who boosted Mark-Viverito was warm to him.

This time around, candidates for speaker have gone out of their way to highlight their inde- pendence.

The crowded field includes (from left) Council members Mark Levine (D-Manhattan), Corey Johnson (D-Manhattan), Robert Cornegy (D-Brooklyn), Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Queens), Jumaane Williams (D-Brooklyn), Donovan Richards (DQueens), Ydanis Rodriguez (DManhattan) and Ritchie Torres (D-Bronx).

In addition to independence from the mayor, some have also argued the next speaker should be a person of color — complicating matters for Johnson and Levine, both seen as serious contenders but both of whom are white men. No women are seeking the gig.

Much of the early negotiations surrounding the speaker’s race often get hashed out during the annual Somos Conference in Puerto Rico — which was canceled this year due to Hurricane Maria.

Several members in the running for the job instead performed relief work with MarkViverito the week the conference was set to be held.

The mayor’s office declined to comment.