1997 New York City mayoral election

none January 2025 September 2023 1997 New York City mayoral election New York City presidential no 1993 New York City mayoral election 1993 2001 New York City mayoral election 2001 November 4, 1997 Rudy Giuliani Mel Martinez 207-DP-8297A-PressCnf (cropped).jpg 150x150px Rudy Giuliani Republican Party (United States) 783,815 57.7% Ruth Messinger 2012 (cropped).jpg Ruth Messinger Democratic Party (United States) 549,335 40.5% 250px Borough results 250px State Assembly results 1 250px Giuliani: #E27F7F 50–60% #D75D5D 60–70% #D72F30 70–80% #C21B18 80–90%Messinger: #A5B0FF 40–50% #7996E2 50–60% #6674DE 60–70% #584CDE 70–80% #3933E5 80–90% Mayor Rudy Giuliani Republican Party (United States) Rudy Giuliani Republican Party (United States) 1,409,34740.09% (17.41 pp) 3,514,974 Liberal The New York City mayoral election of 1997 occurred on Tuesday November 4, 1997, with incumbent Republican mayor Rudy Giuliani soundly defeating Democratic Manhattan Borough President Ruth Messinger and several third-party candidates. This was the first time Brooklyn voted for a Republican since 1941. Democratic primary Candidates Ruth Messinger, Manhattan Borough President Al Sharpton, Baptist minister, activist, and founder of National Action Network Sal Albanese, New York City councilman Withdrew Fernando Ferrer, Bronx Borough President (1987–2001) (endorsed Messinger)Nagourney Adam Ferrer to Withdraw From the Campaign To Unseat Giuliani https://www.nytimes.com/1997/05/13/nyregion/ferrer-to-withdraw-from-the-campaign-to-unseat-giuliani.html The New York Times 5 February 2025 https://archive.today/20250205020714/https://www.nytimes.com/1997/05/13/nyregion/ferrer-to-withdraw-from-the-campaign-to-unseat-giuliani.html 5 February 2025 13 May 1997 live subscription Declined David Dinkins, former New York City mayor (1990–1993) and Manhattan Borough President (1986–1989)Advisers Say Dinkins Won't Run for Mayor https://www.nytimes.com/1997/02/12/nyregion/advisers-say-dinkins-won-t-run-for-mayor.html The New York Times 7 August 2025 https://archive.today/20250807061158/https://www.nytimes.com/1997/02/12/nyregion/advisers-say-dinkins-won-t-run-for-mayor.html 7 August 2025 12 February 1997 live registration Alan Hevesi, New York City Comptroller (1994–2001)Firestone David Hevesi Says He Won't Run for Mayor, Citing Family and Desire to Remain Comptroller https://www.nytimes.com/1996/11/26/nyregion/hevesi-says-he-won-t-run-for-mayor-citing-family-desire-remain-comptroller.html The New York Times 13 June 2024 https://archive.today/20240613070905/https://www.nytimes.com/1996/11/26/nyregion/hevesi-says-he-won-t-run-for-mayor-citing-family-desire-remain-comptroller.html 13 June 2024 26 November 1996 live subscription Carl McCall, New York State Comptroller (1993–2002) Mark Green, New York City Public AdvocateHicks Jonathan Green Decides Not to Run For Mayor https://www.nytimes.com/1996/04/10/nyregion/green-decides-not-to-run-for-mayor.html The New York Times 7 August 2025 https://archive.today/20250807061656/https://www.nytimes.com/1996/04/10/nyregion/green-decides-not-to-run-for-mayor.html 7 August 2025 10 April 1996 live subscription Peter Vallone Sr., New York City Council Bill Bratton, former New York City Police Commissioner (1994–96, 2014–16)Schneider Bill New York's Giuliani Makes Crime His Issue https://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1997/01/03/political.pow/ CNN 13 June 2024 https://archive.today/20240613065714/https://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1997/01/03/political.pow/ 13 June 2024 3 January 1997 live Campaign The primary campaign was largely uneventful until April, due to former mayor David Dinkins opting out of a potential third rematch against Rudy Giuliani. Messinger, the front-runner, ignored her opponents in favor of attacking Giuliani.Sharpton Exults in N.Y. Primary Showing https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1997/09/11/sharpton-exults-in-ny-primary-showing/5ebedc84-8bfb-4be8-b56d-5c29eb97d9c8/ The Washington Post September 10, 1997 Harden Blaine Sharpton, for his part, ran a "street-corner, subway-stop campaign that raised little money, aired no television commercials and hired no consultants." Instead, he relied on his high name recognition among New Yorkers from his organization on behalf of Tawana Brawley, Yusef Hawkins, and the Central Park Five and his prior runs for United States Senate in 1992 and 1994. Debates + 1997 New York City mayoral election democratic primary debate No. Number Date Host Moderator Link Democratic Democratic Democratic DemocraticKey:black #90ff90  P  Participant  black #FFFFDD  A  Absent  black #ff9090  N  Not invited  black #CCFFCC  I  Invited #f0e68c W Withdrawn Sal Albanese Ruth Messinger Al Sharpton Eric Ruano-Melendez1 Aug. 19, 1997 El Diario La PrensaNew York OneNew York City Campaign Finance BoardSt. Francis CollegeWNYC-FM Lewis Dodley YouTube P P P P + 1997 New York City mayoral election democratic primary run-off debate No. Number Date Host Moderator Link Democratic DemocraticKey:black #90ff90  P  Participant  black #FFFFDD  A  Absent  black #ff9090  N  Not invited  black #CCFFCC  I  Invited #f0e68c W Withdrawn Ruth Messinger Al Sharpton1 Sep. 15, 1997 New York OneNew York City Campaign Finance BoardSt. Francis CollegeWNYC-FM Roma Torre YouTube P P Results Initial results indicated that Messinger had received 39 percent of the vote, thereby triggering a run-off against Al Sharpton, the runner-up. The run-off was scheduled for September 23. Observers initially blamed Messinger's "bland and often bumbling primary campaign" for the close results. However, absentee ballots gave Messinger 40.159 percent of the vote, 658 votes more than necessary to win the nomination outright.N.Y. Runoff Canceled, Sharpton Files Suit September 18, 1997 New York https://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1997/09/18/sharpton.suit/ CNN.com AllPolitics center|thumb|Results by State Assembly district #86B6F2 Messinger #D3E7FF 30%–40% #B9D7FF 40%–50% #86B6F2 50%–60% #4389E3 60%–70% #73D873 Sharpton #D7F4D7 30%–40% #AFE9AF 40%–50% #73D873 50%–60% #42CA42 60%–70% #30A630 70%–80% #FF9955 Albanese #FFCCAA 30%–40% #FFB380 40%–50% #FF9955 50%–60% #FF6600 70%–80% 1997 Democratic mayoral primary Ruth Messinger Democratic Party (US) 165,377 40.19 Al Sharpton Democratic Party (US) 131,848 32.04 Sal Albanese Democratic Party (US) 86,485 21.02 After the Board of Elections cancelled the run-off, Sharpton filed suit, charging "such substantial fraud and irregularities in the conduct of the primary election ... that it is impossible to render a determination as to who was rightfully nominated." Sharpton claimed, among other things, that non-Democrats were allowed to vote, that more votes were counted in some districts than there were voters, that some registered voters were wrongly turned away from polling locations, and that some voting machine were broken. Though she agreed that the vote-counting process "took too long", Messinger claimed victory on the basis of the Board of Elections decision. General election Candidates Rudy Giuliani, incumbent mayor of New York City (Republican, Liberal) Ruth Messinger, Manhattan Borough President (Democratic) In the general election, Giuliani had the Republican and Liberal ballot lines, but not the Conservative line. Giuliani had run on the same two ballot lines in his unsuccessful 1989 mayoral campaign and in his winning campaign in 1993.Lynn Frank 1989-07-21 Giuliani Files 2 Challenges To Take Lauder off Ballot en-US The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1989/07/21/nyregion/giuliani-files-2-challenges-to-take-lauder-off-ballot.html 2022-07-28 0362-4331 Conservative Party leaders were unhappy with Giuliani on ideological grounds, citing the Liberal Party's endorsement statement that Giuliani "agreed with the Liberal Party's views on affirmative action, gun control, school prayer and tuition tax credits."Bai Matt America's Mayor Goes to America https://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/09/magazine/09Giuliani-t.html 26 October 2022 The New York Times 9 September 2007 Campaign Giuliani's opponent in 1997 was Democratic Manhattan Borough President Ruth Messinger, who had beaten Al Sharpton in the Democratic primary on September 9, 1997.AllPolitics - Giuliani Wins With Ease - Nov. 4, 1997 http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1997/11/04/mayor/ 2022-07-28 CNN The results of the Democratic primary were contested in court by Sharpton, who argued that he qualified for a run-off election with Messinger.https://www.nytimes.com/1997/09/19/nyregion/race-for-city-hall-overview-messinger-aims-for-giuliani-sharpton-heads-for-court.html Race For City Hall: The Overview; Messinger Aims for Giuliani, and Sharpton Heads for Court Adam Nagourney The New York Times September 19, 1997 Sharpton waited until October to endorse Messinger against Giuliani, and the endorsement was perceived by some as tepid.https://www.nytimes.com/1997/10/13/nyregion/sharpton-and-messinger-seal-awkward-political-alliance.html Sharpton and Messinger Seal Awkward Political Alliance Adam Nagourney The New York Times October 13, 1997 Giuliani ran an aggressive campaign, parlaying his image as a tough leader who had cleaned up the city. Giuliani's popularity was at its highest point to date, with a late October 1997 Quinnipiac University Polling Institute poll showing him as having a 68% approval rating; 70% of New Yorkers were satisfied with life in the city and 64% said things were better in the city compared to four years previously."Giuliani Approval, Satisfaction With City Hit New Highs, Quinnipiac College Poll Finds; Mayor's Lead Over Messinger Nears 2–1" https://web.archive.org/web/20080112123308/http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x1302.xml?ReleaseID=808 2008-01-12 , Quinnipiac University Poll, October 29, 1997. Accessed June 24, 2007. Throughout the campaign, Giuliani was well ahead in the polls and had a strong fundraising advantage over Messinger. On her part, Messinger lost the support of several usually Democratic constituencies, including gay organizations and large labor unions.http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,987322,00.html The Last of the Liberals Peter Beinart Time November 10, 1997 content.time.com All four daily New York newspapers—The New York Times, New York Daily News, New York Post, and Newsday—endorsed Giuliani over Messinger.Onishi Norimitsu 1997-10-27 The 1997 Elections: The Campaigning; Giuliani Goes After Voters In Messinger's Stronghold en-US The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1997/10/27/nyregion/1997-elections-campaigning-giuliani-goes-after-voters-messinger-s-stronghold.html 2022-07-28 0362-4331 Two televised debates were held, but Messinger was unable to get traction in highlighting that Giuliani was interested in higher office and might not serve out a full second term.Nagourney Adam 1997-10-30 The 1997 Elections: The Candidates; Giuliani Shrugs Off Messinger's Attacks in Debate en-US The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1997/10/30/nyregion/1997-elections-candidates-giuliani-shrugs-off-messinger-s-attacks-debate.html 2022-07-28 0362-4331 Messinger claimed that the real mayor was not in evidence during the debates: "Let me point out that we're certainly seeing the nice Rudy Giuliani tonight." Debate + 1997 New York City mayoral election debate No. Number Date Host Moderator Link Republican Democratic Socialist WorkersKey:black #90ff90  P  Participant  black #FFFFDD  A  Absent  black #ff9090  N  Not invited  black #CCFFCC  I  Invited #f0e68c W Withdrawn Rudy Giuliani Ruth Messinger Olga Rodriguez1Nagourney Adam Race For City Hall: The Overview; Sharp Exchanges Pepper Debate Between Giuliani and Messinger https://www.nytimes.com/1997/10/10/nyregion/race-for-city-hall-overview-sharp-exchanges-pepper-debate-between-giuliani.html The New York Times 28 December 2024 https://archive.today/20241228201020/https://www.nytimes.com/1997/10/10/nyregion/race-for-city-hall-overview-sharp-exchanges-pepper-debate-between-giuliani.html 28 December 2024 10 October 1997 live subscription Oct. 9, 1997 El Diario La PrensaNew York OneNew York Urban LeagueNew York City Campaign Finance BoardWNYC-FM Dennis Walcott YouTube P P P Results In the end, Giuliani won 58% of the vote to Messinger's 41%, becoming the first Republican to win a second term as Mayor of New York City since Fiorello H. LaGuardia in 1941. Voter turnout was the lowest in 12 years, with only 38% of registered voters casting ballots.Nagourney Adam 1997-11-05 The 1997 Elections: The Overview; Giuliani Sweeps to Second Term As Mayor; Whitman Hold on By a Razor-Thin Margin en-US The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1997/11/05/nyregion/1997-elections-overview-giuliani-sweeps-second-term-mayor-whitman-holds-razor.html 2022-07-28 0362-4331 The margin of victory was not quite as large as pre-election polls had predicted;Firestone David 1997-11-06 The 1997 Elections: The Voters; Big Victory, but Gains For Mayor Are Modest en-US The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1997/11/06/nyregion/the-1997-elections-the-voters-big-victory-but-gains-for-mayor-are-modest.html 2022-07-28 0362-4331 analysis of the vote showed that Giuliani made modest gains amongst African-American and Hispanic voters while maintaining his solid base of white, Asian and Jewish voters from 1993. In his acceptance speech, Giuliani acknowledged the image of divisiveness he had acquired during his first term and vowed to correct it: "Whether you voted for me or against me, whether you voted or didn't vote, I'm your Mayor, this is your administration. We have to do a better job of serving all of you. We have to reach out to all of you. And if we haven't, I apologize. I'm sorry and it is my personal commitment that we will try, endlessly and tirelessly, to bring all of you into the kind of success and optimism we have in this room." In her concession speech, Messinger said, "Tonight, we lost a battle but the war goes on ... Our schools still don't work ... and they are still worth fighting for. We gave it everything we had." CandidatePartyManhattanThe BronxBrooklynQueens Staten IslandTotal%Rudolph GiulianiRepublican-Liberal138,71881,897173,343 176,75145,120615,82955.2%50.9%43.6%53.3%64.6% 78.6%Ruth MessingerDemocratic 128,478102,979 145,349 92,194 10,288479,28842.9%47.1%54.8% 44.7% 33.7% 17.9%All others5,534 2,9016,259 4,5861,96121,2411.9%2.0%1.5%1.9%1.7%3.4%T O T A L272,730 187,777 324,951 273,531 57,3691,116,358100% https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=55046 Our Campaigns - New York City Mayor Race - Nov 04, 1997 www.ourcampaigns.com Voter demographics The 1997 NYC mayoral election by demographic subgrouphttp://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1997/11/04/ny.exit/questions.html New York City Exit Poll Results -- Nov. 4, 1997 (Mayor's Race) www.cnn.com September 11, 2018 Demographic subgroupMessingerGiuliani % oftotal vote Total vote 43 57 100Ideology Liberals 55 43 33 Moderates 38 61 42 Conservatives 23 72 23Party Democrats 54 45 61 Republicans 6 92 19 Independents/Other 34 65 19Gender Men 36 62 45 Women 45 54 55Race White 21 76 53 Black 79 20 21 Hispanic 57 43 20Age 18–29 years old 40 59 15 30–44 years old 47 50 33 45–59 years old 42 56 26 60 and older 32 67 26Family income Under $15,000 56 42 16 $15,000–30,000 47 50 21 $30,000–50,000 42 57 24 $50,000–75,000 31 67 20 $75,000–100,000 33 61 9 Over $100,000 28 71 10Union households Union 45 52 42 Non-union 37 62 58Religion Protestant 55 43 13 Catholic 32 66 41 Other Christian 60 37 10 Jewish 27 72 23 Other 64 34 7 None 56 42 6 References 30em Mayoral election 1997 New York City mayoral New York Category:Rudy Giuliani Category:November 1997 in the United States