1977 New York City mayoral election

none January 2025 January 2015 1977 New York City mayoral election New York City presidential no 1973 New York City mayoral election 1973 1981 New York City mayoral election 1981 November 8, 1977 Koch in 1978 (cropped).jpg Ed Koch Democratic Party (United States) 717,376 50.0% Mario Cuomo 1975 (3x4 cropped).jpg Mario Cuomo Liberal Party of New York Other nominations 587,913 41.0% NYC Mayoral Election 1977 Results by Borough.svg 250px Borough resultsKoch: #A5B0FF 40–50% #7996e2 50–60% #6674de 60–70%Cuomo: #afe9af 40–50% #42ca42 60–70% Mayor Abraham Beame Democratic Party (United States) Ed Koch Democratic Party (United States) 2,887,530 1,486,53651.48% (1.27 pp) no Neighborhood Preservation The 1977 New York City mayoral election occurred on Tuesday, November 8, 1977. U.S. Representative Ed Koch defeated Secretary of State Mario Cuomo in both the Democratic Party primary and the general election, with Cuomo running on the Liberal Party ticket. In the Democratic primary on September 8, incumbent mayor Abraham Beame was challenged by five other Democrats, including Representative Ed Koch, New York Secretary of State Mario Cuomo, and feminist activist and former Representative Bella Abzug. In the initial primary, Koch had a narrow lead over the field despite carrying none of New York's five boroughs and only 19.8% of the popular vote. Because no candidate received over forty percent of the vote, a runoff vote was held between Koch and Cuomo, who had already won the Liberal Party nomination. Koch defeated Cuomo by winning narrow victories in every borough but Queens and Staten Island. In the general election, which Cuomo decided to contest on the Liberal ticket, Koch was again victorious, coming within a few hundred votes of an outright majority. To date, this is the last election where the winner did not receive a majority of the vote. Republican Roy M. Goodman and Conservative Barry Farber finished a distant third and fourth, respectively. Background In October 1975, with the city on the verge of bankruptcy, Mayor Beame asked the federal government for a bailout. President Gerald Ford refused, leading to the memorable New York Daily News headline: "Ford to City: Drop Dead". As a result, Mayor Beame laid off many police officers and other city employees, which was followed by an increase in crime. (The next month, Ford relented in part, signing the New York City Seasonal Financing Act of 1975, which extended $2.3 billion in federal loans to the city for three years.Russell Mary December 10, 1975 Ford Signs Bill To Aid N.Y.C. B9 The Washington Post 146357089) A 982-page report from the Securities and Exchange Commission blamed Beame's mismanagement for the city's financial mess, which his opponents seized on as an electoral issue.From the Daily News Archives Daily News New York http://www.nydailynews.com/features/bronxisburning/battle-for-the-city/index.html dead https://web.archive.org/web/20080724152029/http://www.nydailynews.com/features/bronxisburning/battle-for-the-city/index.html July 24, 2008 Beame's struggles with the economy and crime, which had led to a decrease in the population of New York City, encouraged several Democrats to challenge him. Liberal Party convention The Liberal Party convention was held on May 19, 1977. Cuomo defeated Abzug for the nomination. Results 1977 Liberal conventionhttp://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=251049 NYC Mayor - L Convention OurCampaigns.com November 2, 2025 June 11, 2025 https://web.archive.org/web/20250611071720/https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=251049 Liberal Party of New York Mario Cuomo 238 95.20% Liberal Party of New York Abstention 7 2.80% Liberal Party of New York Bella Abzug 5 2.00% 231 92.40 250 100.00% Democratic primary The Democratic primary was held on September 8, 1977. Candidates Bella Abzug, former U.S. Representative from the West Side and candidate for U.S. Senate in 1976 Herman Badillo, U.S. Representative from the South Bronx Abraham Beame, incumbent Mayor of New York City Mario Cuomo, Secretary of State of New York Joel Harnett, civic watchdog Ed Koch, U.S. Representative from Greenwich Village Percy Sutton, Manhattan Borough President Withdrew Edward N. Costikyan, reformer, attorney, and Beame's 1965 campaign manager (endorsed Koch)Carroll Maurice May 15, 1977 Costikyan Pulls Out of Mayoral Contest and Supports Koch 1 The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1977/05/15/archives/costikyan-pulls-out-of-mayoral-contest-and-supports-koch-costikyan.html October 5, 2018 Abzug represented parts of Manhattan and the Bronx in the U.S. House. In 1975, she left her seat to run for the U.S. Senate but was narrowly defeated in the Democratic primary by Daniel Patrick Moynihan. Cuomo, a liberal from Queens, had been appointed Secretary of State by Governor Hugh Carey in 1976, after losing the election for lieutenant governor in 1974. Ed Koch, a Jewish politician from Greenwich Village, began his career as "just a plain liberal,"November 14, 2005 Ed Koch's Legacy Gotham Gazette http://www.gothamgazette.com/article//20051114/202/1652 dead July 15, 2007 https://web.archive.org/web/20070427090825/http://www.gothamgazette.com/article//20030602/4/408 April 27, 2007 but shifted rightward, towards being a "liberal with sanity"."Paying Their Dues" https://web.archive.org/web/20071011113823/http://www.nypress.com/20/21/news%26columns/opinion.cfm October 11, 2007, Ed Koch, New York Press, May 23, 2007 Campaign Koch ran to the right of the other candidates, on a "law and order" platform. A major blackout affected New York City from July 13, 1977 to July 14, 1977. The blackout was localized to New York City and the immediate surroundings, and resulted in citywide looting. According to historian Jonathan Mahler, the blackout and the subsequent rioting helped catapult Koch and his message of restoring public safety to front-runner status."That '70s Show" https://web.archive.org/web/20130509022442/http://www.gothamgazette.com/article//20050509/202/1407 May 9, 2013, Gotham Gazette, May 9, 2005 Mayor Beame accused Con Edison, the power provider for New York City, of "gross negligence". Koch criticized Beame for losing control of the streets and failing to ask Governor Carey to call in the National Guard.Purnick Joyce Joyce Purnick July 11, 2007 The '77 Blackout: Inside the Command Center The New York Times http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/07/11/the-77-blackout-inside-the-command-center/ May 20, 2010Koch Ed July 10, 2007 How I Helped Put Juice Back In The Big Apple New York Post http://www.nypost.com/seven/07102007/news/columnists/how_i_helped_put_juice_back_in_the_big_apple_columnists_ed_koch.htm dead https://archive.today/20120904171856/http://www.nypost.com/p/news/item_KTE3zH4csr2bHzekXuad5I;jsessionid=41383A82858CE39EAF4E767FA61CA2DE September 4, 2012 mdy-all Endorsements March 2025 Bella Abzug Individuals Shirley MacLaine, actress Marlo Thomas, actress Labor unions Local 1199 Marine Engineers Benevolent Association Other organizations 10,000 hospital workers Herman Badillo Individuals Chita Rivera, actress Raul Julia, actor Radio stations WCBS Other organizations West Brooklyn Independent Democrats Several Hispanic labor organizations Abraham Beame (incumbent) State legislators Stanley Steingut, Speaker of the New York Assembly and Assemblyman from Brooklyn City officials Donald Manes, Borough President of Queens Individuals John DeLury, president Bert Powers, president of the New York Typographical Union No. 6 and leader of the 1962–1963 New York City newspaper strike Labor unions Central Labor Council ILGWU United Federation of Teachers Transport Workers Union of America Mario Cuomo Federal executive branch officials Robert F. Wagner Jr., former U.S. Ambassador to Spain and mayor of New York City Federal legislators Mario Biaggi, U.S. Representative from the Bronx and candidate for mayor in 1973 State executive branch officials Hugh Carey, Governor of New York Newspapers The New York Times The Village Voice Labor unions 26 labor organizations Other organizations Liberal Party of New York Joel Harnett Individuals Don Pippin, stage actor Phil Newman, businessman Ed Koch Federal legislators Stephen J. Solarz City officials Bess Myerson, former Commissioner of Consumer Affairs and Miss America 1945 Newspapers The New York Post New York Daily News Other organizations Citizens Union Percy Sutton Federal executive branch officials Nicholas Katzenbach, former U.S. Attorney General and U.S. Undersecretary of State Federal legislators Charles Rangel, U.S. Representative from Harlem Other individuals Ellen Sulzberger Straus, philanthropist and businesswoman Newspapers Amsterdam News New York Voice Labor unions Allied Health Services Union Other organizations Baptist Ministers Conference of Greater New York and Vicinity New York Ministerial Alliance Polling Poll source Dates administered Sample size Bella Abzug Herman Badillo Abraham Beame Mario Cuomo Joel Hartnett Ed Koch Percy SuttonUndecidedDeclined The New York Times/CBS News1977-08-24 Beame, Mrs. Abzug Lead in Poll; Cuomo, Koch in Striking Distance (Published 1977) https://www.nytimes.com/1977/08/24/archives/became-mrs-abzug-lead-in-poll-cuomo-koch-in-striking-distance.html 2025-08-09 en August 1320, 19771,327 RV 17% 7% 17% 14%1% 12% 9%18%5%332 LV21%8%21%15%1%13%8%11%2% Results 1977 Democratic mayoral primaryhttp://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=79426 NYC Mayor - D Primary OurCampaigns.com November 2, 2025 June 11, 2025 https://web.archive.org/web/20250611071612/https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=79426 Democratic Party (United States) Ed Koch 180,248 19.81% Democratic Party (United States) Mario Cuomo 170,488 18.74% Democratic Party (United States) Abraham Beame (incumbent) 163,610 17.98% Democratic Party (United States) Bella Abzug 150,719 16.56% Democratic Party (United States) Percy Sutton 131,197 14.42% Democratic Party (United States) Herman Badillo 99,808 10.97% Democratic Party (United States) Joel Harnett 13,927 1.53% 9,760 1.0% 909,997 100.00% Results by borough 1977 Democratic Primary 99CCFF Edward I. Koch 50,806 23,453 49,470 52,002 5,812 181,544 Mario M. Cuomo 25,331 23,028 54,845 56,698 10,430 170,332 Abraham D. Beame 23,758 25,747 63,304 44,607 7,337 164,753 Bella Abzug 56,045 20,435 37,236 33,883 4,314 151,913 Percy Sutton 35,012 24,801 42,903 28,525 1,399 132,640 Herman Badillo 27,193 35,007 28,909 9,051 876 101,036 Democratic runoff campaign As no candidate obtained the needed 40%, a runoff election was scheduled. The runoff election was held on September 19, 1977 between the top two vote getters, Koch and Cuomo. Results 1977 Democratic mayoral primary runoff Democratic Party (United States) Ed Koch 431,849 54.94% Democratic Party (United States) Mario Cuomo 354,222 45.06% 77,627 9.88 Source: OurCampaigns.com Democratic primary results by borough 1977 Democratic Primary Runoff 99CCFF Edward I. Koch 115,251 69,612 131,271 107,033 9,835 433,002 Mario M. Cuomo 61,570 55,355 112,587 105,522 19,799 354,833 Republican primary The Republican primary was held on September 8, 1977. Candidates Barry Farber, talk radio host Roy M. Goodman, State Senator from Manhattan Results 1977 Republican mayoral primaryhttp://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=84248 NYC Mayor - R Primary OurCampaigns.com November 2, 2025 June 11, 2025 https://web.archive.org/web/20250611072025/https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=84248 Republican Party (United States) Roy M. Goodman 44,667 56.22% Republican Party (United States) Barry Farber 34,782 43.78% 9,885 12.44 General election Candidates Vito P. Battista, former Republican Assemblyman from Brooklyn (United Taxpayers) Elijah C. Boyd (U.S. Labor) Mario Cuomo, Secretary of State of New York (Liberal) Barry Farber, talk radio host (Conservative) Catarino Garza (Socialist Workers) Roy M. Goodman, State Senator from Manhattan (Republican) Ed Koch, U.S. Representative from Greenwich Village (Democratic) William Lawry (Libertarian) Kenneth F. Newcombe (Communist) Louis P. Wein (Independence) Campaign Though Koch won the runoff convincingly, Cuomo remained in the race as the Liberal Party nominee. Though Governor Carey had persuaded Cuomo to run for mayor in the first place, he threw his support to Koch and urged Cuomo to stand down for the sake of party unity. Cuomo refused. While Koch had a reputation as a crusading reformer, that summer he quietly promised plum city jobs to the political powerbrokers in the boroughs in exchange for their support. Cuomo ran well to the left of Koch and ran on banning the death penalty, which backfired with New Yorkers during a time of high crime rates. Cuomo then went negative with ads that likened Koch to unpopular former mayor John Lindsay. His supporters used the inflammatory slogan "Vote for Cuomo, Not the Homo". Meanwhile, Koch backers accused Cuomo of anti-Semitism and pelted Cuomo campaign cars with eggs. Polling Poll Source Dates Administered Koch (D) Cuomo (L) Farber (C) Goodman (R) New York Post November 1–3, 1977 49.5% 35.4% 3.6% 3.4% Results New York City Mayoral Election, November 8, 1977http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=79303 New York City Mayor OurCampaigns.com November 2, 2025 September 19, 2025 https://web.archive.org/web/20250919173316/https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=79303 Democratic Party (United States) Ed Koch 717,376 49.99% 2.56 Liberal Party of New York Mario Cuomo 522,942 36.44% 22.76 Neighborhood Preservation Mario Cuomo 64,971 4.53% N/A Total Mario Cuomo 587,913 40.97% N/A Republican Party (United States) Roy M. Goodman 58,606 4.08% 11.23 Conservative Party of New York Barry Farber 57,437 4.00% 6.49 Communist Party USA Kenneth F. Newcombe 5,300 0.37% 0.16 Socialist Workers Party (United States) Catarino Garza 3,294 0.23% 0.10 United Taxpayers Vito P. Battista 2,119 0.15% N/A Independence Party of New York Louis P. Wein 1,127 0.08% N/A Libertarian Party (US) William Lawry 1,068 0.07% 0.45 U.S. Labor Party Elijah C. Boyd 873 0.06% 0.06 129,463 9.02 1,435,113 100.00% Results by borough General Election Edward I. Koch Democratic 184,842 116,436 204,934 191,894 19,270 717,376 Mario M. Cuomo Liberal – Neighborhood Government 77,531 87,421 173,321 208,748 40,932 587,913 Roy M. Goodman Republican 19,321 6,102 11,491 18,460 3,229 58,606 Barry M. Farber Conservative 9,070 7,624 16,576 20,453 3,714 57,437   others 4,281 1,731 3,752 3,256 761 13,781 1,435,113 References Mayoral election, 1977 1977 Category:1977 New York (state) elections New York Category:Mario Cuomo Category:November 1977 in the United States