2005 New York City mayoral election
Template:Short description Template:More citations needed Template:Use American English
Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox electionTemplate:Elections in New York City sidebar The 2005 New York City mayoral election occurred on November 8, 2005. Incumbent Republican mayor Michael Bloomberg soundly defeated former Bronx borough president Fernando Ferrer, the Democratic nominee. Several third-party candidates also ran for mayor. In July, mayoral candidates filed nominating petitions with the City Board of Elections.
Bloomberg won four of the five boroughs, the exception being the Bronx. He flipped the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn. To date, this is the last time a Republican was elected mayor of New York City, and the last time a Republican line carried Brooklyn. Bloomberg left the Republican Party in 2007 to register as an independent, but the Republican Party nominated him for reelection in 2009.
Republican primary
Candidates
- Michael Bloomberg, incumbent mayor since 2002
- Walter Iwachiw
- Tom Ognibene, former City Councilman from Queens (1992–2002) and Council minority leader
- Steve Shaw
Campaign
Tom Ognibene ran on a platform supporting tax cuts, education reform and opposed Mayor Bloomberg's smoking ban. He was expected to win the endorsement of the Conservative Party.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He received 8,100 signatures, 600 more than the necessary 7,500 signatures to appear on the primary ballot. But the Bloomberg campaign challenged many signatures, leaving Ognibene with 5,848 eligible signatures and forcing him off the ballot. On August 25, a federal judge refused to allow Ognibene on the Republican ballot.
The first television ads were launched in English and Spanish by the Bloomberg campaign on May 18.
Endorsements
Ognibene was endorsed by the leaders of the Queens County Republican Committee on February 10.
Aftermath
Ognibene challenged the Republican nomination in a hearing on August 25, but his challenge was unsuccessful.
Democratic primary
Candidates
- Christopher X. Brodeur, artist and Green Party candidate in 2001
- Fernando Ferrer, former Bronx Borough President (1987–2001) and candidate for Mayor in 2001
- C. Virginia Fields, Manhattan Borough President
- Gifford Miller, Speaker of the New York City Council
- Arthur Piccolo
- Anthony Weiner, U.S. Representative from Brooklyn and Queens
Withdrew
- Charles Barron, member of the City Council from the 42nd district (endorsed Fields)<ref>"Barron's Mayoral 'Race'; Running Because 'White Men Have Too Much Power'". New York Post. December 4, 2003. p. 20</ref><ref>Winnie Hu, "Councilman Expects to Quit Democratic Mayoral Race", The New York Times, February 9, 2005.
Michael Slackman and Jim Rutenberg, "Spitzer Leads Fund-Raising with $3 Million in 6 Months" Template:Webarchive The New York Times, January 19, 2005</ref>
Declined
- Mark Green, nominee for mayor in 2001 (ran for New York Attorney General in 2006)
- Bob Kerrey, former U.S. Senator from Nebraska and President of the New School<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Campaign
On August 3, Ferrer began running campaign advertisements. On August 12, the Gifford Miller campaign launched its own television ads. The Democratic candidates held their first debate on August 16. The Anthony Weiner campaign launched television ads on August 19, the same day voter registration for the primary elections ended. The Democratic candidates held their second televised debate on August 21, sponsored by WCBS and The New York Times.
Endorsements
On September 1, Ferrer was endorsed by City Comptroller Bill Thompson and ACORN. On September 3, The New York Times endorsed Ferrer in the Democratic primary. The Democratic candidates held two final debates, on WNBC on September 7 and on WABC on September 8. On September 10, Reverend Al Sharpton endorsed Ferrer.
Before the primary, Ferrer was endorsed by New York state attorney general Eliot Spitzer, Carl McCall, Geraldine Ferraro, Sheldon Silver, the Transport Workers Union, Bronx borough president Adolfo Carrión Jr., and Ruth Messinger. He was also endorsed by Representatives Joseph Crowley, Gregory Meeks, Major Owens, José E. Serrano, Edolphus Towns and Nydia Velázquez.
Debate
| Template:Abbr | Date | Host | Moderator | Link | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Key: Template:Colors Participant Template:Colors Absent Template:Colors Not invited Template:Colors Invited Template:Color box Withdrawn |
scope="col" style="background:Template:Party color"| | scope="col" style="background:Template:Party color"| | scope="col" style="background:Template:Party color"| | scope="col" style="background:Template:Party color"| | ||||
| Fernando Ferrer | C. Virginia Fields | Gifford Miller | Anthony Weiner | |||||
| 1 | Sep. 16, 2005 | New York 1 New York 1 Noticias New York City Campaign Finance Board New York Newsday WNYC |
Dominic Carter | YouTube | Template:Yes | Template:Yes | Template:Yes | Template:Yes |
Results
| Democratic primary election results<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> Template:Right | ||||||||
| Borough | Fernando Ferrer |
Anthony Weiner |
C. Virginia Fields |
Gifford Miller |
Christopher X. Brodeur |
Arthur Piccolo |
Michael Bloomberg (write-in) |
Other write-in | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manhattan | Template:Right | Template:Right | Template:Right | Template:Right | Template:Right | Template:Right | Template:Right | ||
| The Bronx | Template:Right | Template:Right | Template:Right | Template:Right | Template:Right | Template:Right | Template:Right | ||
| Brooklyn | Template:Right | Template:Right | Template:Right | Template:Right | Template:Right | Template:Right | Template:Right | ||
| Queens | Template:Right | Template:Right | Template:Right | Template:Right | Template:Right | Template:Right | Template:Right | ||
| Staten Island | Template:Right | Template:Right | Template:Right | Template:Right | Template:Right | Template:Right | Template:Right | ||
| Template:Right | Template:Right | Template:Right | Template:Right | Template:Right | Template:Right | Template:Right | Template:Right | Template:Right | |
The Democratic primary was held on September 13, with initial returns showing Ferrer receiving 39.95% of the votes, just short of the 40% needed to avoid a runoff with Weiner. Despite at first seeming poised to continue, the next morning Weiner conceded the election to Ferrer. But the city election board insisted on proceeding with a $12 million election scheduled for September 27, with an additional debate even planned. This prompted a lawsuit supported by both candidates to prevent the runoff, which was avoided when the final count gave Ferrer just over 40% of the vote.
Other nominations
Conservative
Despite his removal from the Republican primary, Tom Ognibene ran as the Conservative Party nominee.
Independence
On May 28, the Independence Party endorsed Bloomberg for reelection.
Liberal
The Liberal Party of New York endorsed Bloomberg.
Green
Manhattan College history professor Anthony Gronowicz was the Green Party's mayoral nominee. Gronowicz sought to strengthen affordable housing, supported renewable sources of energy and sought to provide free tuition to City University of New York. He was featured in an article in The Villager.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Libertarian
Audrey Silk, a former NYPD officer, community activist and founder of NYC Citizens Lobbying Against Smoker Harassment, was nominated by the party on April 16, 2005.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
General election
Candidates
- Michael Bloomberg, incumbent mayor since 2002 (Republican, Independence, Liberal)
- Fernando Ferrer, former Bronx Borough President (Democrat)
- Tom Ognibene (Conservative)
- Anthony Gronowicz (Green)
- Jimmy McMillan (Rent Is Too Damn High)
- Audrey Silk (Libertarian)
- Martin Koppel (Socialist Workers)
- Seth Blum (Education)
Campaign
Issues in the 2005 mayoral race included education, taxes, crime, transportation, public housing, homeland security funding, and the city budget. One prominent issue throughout 2005 was New York's bid for the 2012 Olympic Games, as New York City was one of the finalists to serve as host city. On June 6, the planned West Side Stadium was defeated by the Public Authorities Control Board when Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and State Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno refused to vote for it. As a result, Bloomberg had supported the new Mets ballpark, later Citi Field, as the centerpiece of the revised bid. On July 6, the IOC awarded London the 2012 Summer Olympics.
On October 23, Ferrer proposed Home Owner Property Exemption, or HOPE, a tax break for homeowners with a home property value of less than $100,000.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
On October 6, a mayoral debate was held at the Apollo Theater with Ferrer and Ognibene; Bloomberg was absent. The last day for voter registration for the general election was October 14. The first mayoral debate between Ferrer and Bloomberg was on October 30, and broadcast on WABC. They debated each other again on November 1, at a debate sponsored by WNBC and the New York City Campaign Finance Board.
The general election was held on November 8. Members of the New York City Council, as well as the offices of borough president, city comptroller, public advocate, and district attorney, were also up for election. At 10:30 p.m. on November 8, Ferrer conceded to Bloomberg in a speech at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel. Bloomberg was sworn in for a second term on January 1, 2006.
Endorsements
Bloomberg was endorsed by former mayors Rudy Giuliani and Ed Koch, Jeanine Pirro, Herman Badillo, former congressman Floyd Flake, Reverend Calvin Butts, and many prominent local Democrats.
On October 23, Bloomberg was endorsed by both Newsday and The New York Times in the general election. The Times wrote that Bloomberg could be "one of the greatest mayors in New York history" but criticized "his 'obscene' unlimited spending on his political campaigns", creating an "uneven playing field".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
After winning the Democratic nomination, Ferrer was endorsed by Senators Chuck Schumer and Hillary Clinton on September 16. On September 19, he was endorsed by SEIU Local 1199. He was endorsed by former mayor David Dinkins on September 23. Ferrer was endorsed by the Working Families Party on September 27, but failed to receive enough votes from the party's coordinating council to be nominated for the Working Families Party's ballot line.<ref name="FerrerWorkingFamilies">Template:Cite news</ref> Andrew Cuomo endorsed Ferrer on September 29. On October 20, Ferrer campaigned with Bill Clinton on Charlotte Street in the South Bronx.
Polling
| Source | Date | Sample size | Margin of error | Ferrer (D) | Bloomberg (R) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quinnipiac University<ref>Quinnipiac University</ref> | November 10, 2004 | 1,221 RV | ± 2.8% | Template:Party shading/Democratic align=center | 45% | 40% | |
| Quinnipiac University<ref>Quinnipiac University</ref> | January 19, 2005 | 1,027 RV | ± 3.1% | Template:Party shading/Democratic align=center | 43% | Template:Party shading/Republican align=center | 43% | |
| Quinnipiac University<ref>Quinnipiac University</ref> | March 2, 2005 | 1,435 RV | ± 2.6% | Template:Party shading/Democratic align=center | 47% | 39% | |
| Marist College<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
March 23, 2005 | Template:Party shading/Democratic align=center | 49% | 42% | ||
| Quinnipiac University<ref>Quinnipiac University</ref> | March 30, 2005 | 1,371 RV | ± 2.7% | Template:Party shading/Democratic align=center | 46% | 40% | |
| Marist College<ref name="Marist College">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
April 27, 2005 | 38% | Template:Party shading/Republican align=center | 51% | ||
| Marist College<ref name="Marist College"/> | April 27, 2005 | 38% | Template:Party shading/Republican align=center | 51% | |||
| Quinnipiac University<ref>Quinnipiac University</ref> | May 11, 2005 | 1,169 RV | ± 2.9% | 38% | Template:Party shading/Republican align=center | 47% | |
| Marist College<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
June 10, 2005 | Template:Party shading/Democratic align=center | 46% | 45% | ||
| Quinnipiac University<ref>Quinnipiac University</ref> | June 22, 2005 | 1,780 RV | ± 2.3% | 37% | Template:Party shading/Republican align=center | 50% | |
| Quinnipiac University<ref>Quinnipiac University</ref> | July 19, 2005 | 1,313 RV | ± 2.7% | 36% | Template:Party shading/Republican align=center | 52% | |
| Marist College<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
July 22, 2005 | 36% | Template:Party shading/Republican align=center | 52% | ||
| Marist College<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
August 9, 2005 | 36% | Template:Party shading/Republican align=center | 52% | ||
| The New York Times<ref>The New York Times</ref> | August 22–28, 2005 | 718 RV | ± 5.0% | 32% | Template:Party shading/Republican align=center | 54% | |
| Quinnipiac University<ref>Quinnipiac University</ref> | September 20, 2005 | 38% | Template:Party shading/Republican align=center | 52% | |||
| Marist College<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
September 27, 2005 | 774 LV | ± 3.5% | 38% | Template:Party shading/Republican align=center | 53% |
| Marist College<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
October 12, 2005 | 32% | Template:Party shading/Republican align=center | 59% | ||
| Quinnipiac University<ref>Quinnipiac University</ref> | October 12, 2005 | 725 LV | ± 3.6% | 32% | Template:Party shading/Republican align=center | 60% | |
| Quinnipiac University<ref>Quinnipiac University</ref> | October 25, 2005 | 30% | Template:Party shading/Republican align=center | 61% | |||
| Pace University<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
October 27, 2005 | 27% | Template:Party shading/Republican align=center | 58% | ||
| The New York Times<ref>The New York Times</ref> | October 21–26, 2005 | 758 RV | ± 4.0% | 30% | Template:Party shading/Republican align=center | 57% | |
| Marist College<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
November 1, 2005 | 31% | Template:Party shading/Republican align=center | 62% | ||
| Quinnipiac University<ref>Quinnipiac University</ref> | November 1, 2005 | 742 LV | ± 3.6% | 31% | Template:Party shading/Republican align=center | 59% | |
| Marist College<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
November 4, 2005 | 30% | Template:Party shading/Republican align=center | 64% | ||
| Quinnipiac University<ref>Quinnipiac University</ref> | November 7, 2005 | 712 LV | ± 3.7% | 30% | Template:Party shading/Republican align=center | 68% |
Debates
| Template:Abbr | Date | Host | Moderator | Link | Republican | Democratic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Key: Template:Colors Participant Template:Colors Absent Template:Colors Not invited Template:Colors Invited Template:Color box Withdrawn |
scope="col" style="background:Template:Party color"| | scope="col" style="background:Template:Party color"| | ||||
| Michael Bloomberg | Fernando Ferrer | |||||
| 1 | Oct. 6, 2005 | New York 1, New York 1 Noticias New York City Campaign Finance Board New York Newsday, WNYC |
Dominic Carter | YouTube | Template:Yes | Template:Yes |
| 2 | Oct. 30, 2005 | WABC-TV | Bill Ritter | C-SPAN | Template:Yes | Template:Yes |
| 3 | Nov. 1, 2005 | New York City Campaign Finance Board WNBC |
Gabe Pressman | YouTube | Template:Yes | Template:Yes |
Results
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Results by borough
Template:NY Election begin Template:NY Election candidate Template:NY Election candidateTemplate:NY Election candidate Template:NY Election candidate Template:NY Election candidate Template:NY Election candidate Template:NY Election candidate Template:NY Election candidate Template:NY Election candidate Template:NY Election candidate Template:NY Election candidate Template:NY Election candidate Template:NY Election candidate Template:NY Election candidateTemplate:NY Election candidateTemplate:NY Election candidateTemplate:NY Election candidate Template:NY Election end
Notes
References
External links
See also
Template:New York City mayoral elections Template:2005 United States elections