1969 New York City mayoral election

none January 2025 September 2023 1969 New York City mayoral election New York City presidential no 1965 New York City mayoral election 1965 1973 New York City mayoral election 1973 November 4, 1969 File:Mario Procaccino, N.Y. politician (3x4 cropped).jpg 150x150px Mario Procaccino Democratic Party (United States) Civil Service 831,772 34.8% File:John Marchi, New York politician, cropped.jpg John J. Marchi Republican Party (United States) Conservative 542,411 22.7% File:John Lindsay, election night (cropped).jpg John Lindsay Liberal Party of New York #46C65B 1,012,633 42.4% NYCmayoralelectionresultsbyborough1969.svg 250px Results by borough #b9d7ff Procaccino—40–50% #cc2f4a Marchi—60–70% #caf0ca Lindsay—30–40% #42ca42 Lindsay—60–70% Mayor John Lindsay Republican Party (United States) John Lindsay Liberal Party of New York 2,458,20381.21% (0.39 pp) 3,026,745 no The 1969 New York City mayoral election occurred on Tuesday, November 4, 1969, with incumbent Liberal Party Mayor John Lindsay elected to a second term. Lindsay defeated the Democratic candidate, New York City Comptroller Mario Procaccino, and the Republican candidate, state senator John Marchi. Lindsay received 42.36% of the vote to Procaccino's 34.79%, a Liberal victory margin of 7.57%.New York City Mayoral Election 1969 http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=79294 Our Campaigns 18 April 2014 Marchi finished a distant third with 22.69%. In one of the most unusual primary seasons since the consolidation of greater New York, the incumbent Lindsay and former mayor Robert F. Wagner Jr. lost their respective Republican and Democratic primaries. Lindsay, defeated narrowly by state senator John J. Marchi of Staten Island for the Republican nomination, gained ballot access to the general election via the Liberal Party, which had co-nominated him in 1965. Procaccino won the Democratic primary with less than 33% of the vote against four other candidates: Wagner, Bronx Borough President Herman Badillo, Congressman James H. Scheuer, and author Norman Mailer, who ran on a platform proposing secession from the state of New York. In his criticism of Lindsay, Procaccino coined the term “limousine liberal,” a political epithet for the “repellent hypocrisy of elites” who promoted social reforms and tolerated disorder while remaining untouched by its fallout thanks to their wealth, according to historian Steve Fraser.Fraser Steve The Limousine Liberal: How an Incendiary Image United the Right and Fractured America Basic Books New York 2016 12 This is one of two mayoral elections where the winning candidate carried a minority of the boroughs, the other being the 2001 election. This is also one of two mayoral elections where the winning candidate was not on the Democratic or Republican ballot line, the other being the 1950 election. With Lindsay receiving 1,012,633 votes, the 1969 mayoral election was the last in which a candidate exceeded one million votes until the 2025 election, when Democrat Zohran Mamdani received 1,114,184 votes.2025-11-04 New York City Mayoral Election Results https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/11/04/us/elections/results-new-york-city-mayor.html 2025-11-07 The New York Times en-US 0362-4331 Background 1965 election Incumbent mayor John Lindsay was elected in 1965 as a Republican with Liberal Party support. However, Lindsay failed to win a majority of the vote, primarily due to the rise of the Conservative Party, which polled over thirteen percent of the vote behind candidate William F. Buckley Jr. Liberal Party support, which typically went to the Democratic Party nominee, was therefore crucial to Lindsay's win. Race relations In summer 1967, New York was one of many American cities rocked by urban riots, with four killed after an off-duty NYPD officer shot and killed a Puerto Rican man, Renaldo Rodriguez, who lunged at him with a knife. In response to the unrest throughout the country, President Lyndon B. Johnson established the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders.Hrach, Thomas J. https://books.google.com/books?id=QpbvsXCdtVIC&q=lindsay%20kerner%20commission&pg=PA78 The News Media and Disorders: The Kerner Commission's Examination of Race 2008 9780549689546 July 17, 2013 Lindsay served on the Commission and used it as an opportunity to publicly campaign for urban renewal, visiting riot-damaged sites accompanied by national and local press, and he was influential in its final report.Hrach, Thomas J. https://books.google.com/books?id=QpbvsXCdtVIC&q=lindsay%20kerner%20commission&pg=PA78 The News Media and Disorders: The Kerner Commission's Examination of Race 2008 9780549689546 July 17, 2013 In April 1968, one month after the report was released, rioting broke out in more than 100 American cities following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. In New York, however, Lindsay was credited with averting a crisis when he traveled personally to the Black-majority neighborhood of Harlem to tell residents that he regretted King's death and was working to end urban poverty.Purnick, Joyce December 21, 2000 Remembering A Mayor, Faults and All https://www.nytimes.com/2000/12/21/nyregion/metro-matters-remembering-a-mayor-faults-and-all.html July 17, 2013 New York Times His administration also sponsored the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, at which Lindsay was introduced as "our blue-eyed soul brother."Greene, Bryan June 2017 Parks and Recreation: Harlem at a Crossroads in the Summer of '69 https://greenpleasantland.com Poverty and Race Research Action Council Blizzard of 1969 February 1969 nor'easterOn February 10, 1969, New York City received 15 inches (38 cm) of snow and in one day alone, 14 people died and 68 were injured.Fox, Sylvan (February 11, 1969). "A Paralyzed City Digs Out of Snow; 14 Dead, 68 Hurt". The New York Times, p. 1. For three days, the city was completely paralyzed; streets, subways, airports, and schools were suspended. Lindsay faced repeated criticism during and after the blizzard that he had prioritized his native borough of Manhattan over the four other boroughs, particularly Queens, which remained unplowed over one week after the storm.Stern, Michael (February 20, 1969). "Now Is the Winter of Discontent in Queens; Snow Mess Makes Baysiders Feel City Couldn't Care Less About Them", The New York Times. The criticism prompted Lindsay to visit Queens but, after his limousine became trapped in Rego Park, he was forced to abandon it in favor of a four-wheel truck and was heckled by local residents.Chan Sewell February 10, 2009 Remembering a Snowstorm That Paralyzed the City http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/10/remembering-a-snowstorm-that-paralyzed-the-city/ March 18, 2009 The New York Times Ultimately, 42 people died as a result of the snowstorm, half of them in Queens, and 288 were injured.Chan Sewell February 10, 2009 Remembering a Snowstorm That Paralyzed the City http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/10/remembering-a-snowstorm-that-paralyzed-the-city/ March 18, 2009 The New York Times Biographer Vincent J. Cannato attributed Lindsay's failed handling of the snowstorm to a hesitation to exceed his budget and potentially, deliberate sabotage by the city's sanitation workers, who held a grudge against Lindsay for his heavy-handed negotiation tactics during their 1968 strike.Chan Sewell February 10, 2009 Remembering a Snowstorm That Paralyzed the City http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/10/remembering-a-snowstorm-that-paralyzed-the-city/ March 18, 2009 The New York Times Republican primary Candidates John Lindsay, incumbent mayor since 1966 John J. Marchi, state senator from Staten Island Withdrawn Vito P. Battista, State Assemblyman from Brooklyn and perennial candidate (ran for Controller; endorsed Marchi) Results Marchi claimed victory at 12:40 a.m. in a speech claiming that the primary "mark[ed] the beginning of [a] revitalized Republican Party." In conceding the results, Lindsay proclaimed that they were "not the voice of the Republicans of this city ... not the voice of the Democrats ... not the voice of New York." He pledged to wage a new campaign against "the twin horsemen of doubt and fear" with a "new coalition" in city politics.1969 New York City Republican primary John J. Marchi Republican Party (US) 113,698 51.43% John Lindsay (incumbent) Republican Party (US) 107,366 48.57% 221,064 100.00% Results by borough 1969 Republican primary ffcccc [Lindsay minus Marchi] + 31,779 – 3,910 – 13,119 – 13,811 – 7,271 – 6,332 John V. Lindsay 44,236 12,222 20,575 26,658 3,675 107,366 John J. Marchi 12,457 16,132 33,694 40,649 10,946 113,698 221,064 Democratic primary Candidates Herman Badillo, Bronx Borough President Norman Mailer, author Mario Procaccino, New York City Comptroller James H. Scheuer, U.S. Representative from the Bronx Robert F. Wagner Jr., U.S. Ambassador to Spain and former mayor of New York City (195465) Withdrawn Vincent L. Broderick, former New York Police Commissioner and United States Attorney for the Southern District of New YorkBroderick, Frank to Run for Mayor February 28, 1969 Richard Reeves The New York Times 1 https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1969/02/28/77445995.html?pageNumber=1 subscription Hugh Carey, U.S. Representative from Brooklyn (ran for City Council President; endorsed Wagner) Norman Frank, public relations advisor to the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association (endorsed Procaccino) Robert A. Low, member of the City Council (ran for City Council President; endorsed Carey) John M. Murphy, U.S. Representative from Staten Island Paul R. Screvane, former President of the City Council (endorsed Wagner) Results 1969 New York City Democratic primary Mario Procaccino Democratic Party (US) 255,529 32.85% Robert F. Wagner Jr. Democratic Party (US) 224,464 28.86% Herman Badillo Democratic Party (US) 217,165 27.92% Norman Mailer Democratic Party (US) 41,288 5.31% James H. Scheuer Democratic Party (US) 39,350 5.06% 777,796 100.00% Results by borough 1969 Democratic primary 99ccff Mario Procaccino 26,804 50,465 87,650 79,002 11,628 255,529 percentage 16% 34% 36% 40% 52% 33% Robert F. Wagner Jr. 40,978 33,442 81,833 61,244 6,967 224,464 percentage 25% 23% 33% 31% 31% 29% Herman Badillo 74,809 48,841 52,866 37,880 2,769 217,165 percentage 45% 33% 22% 19% 12% 28% Norman Mailer 17,372 4,214 10,299 8,700 703 41,288 percentage 10% 3% 4% 4% 3% 5% James H. Scheuer 7,117 10,788 11,942 8,994 509 39,350 percentage 4% 7% 5% 5% 2% 5% 777,796 General election Candidates John Lindsay, incumbent mayor since 1966 (Liberal and Independent) John J. Marchi, state senator from Staten Island (Republican and Conservative) Mario Procaccino, New York City Comptroller (Democratic and Civil Service) Rasheed Storey (Communist) Lindsay was also nominated on an independent ticket, while Procaccino received the Civil Service ballot line, and Marchi received the Conservative Party ballot line. Campaign During the campaign, Lindsay made a conscious effort to appeal to Jewish New Yorkers through symbolic gestures. In late September, he gave an extraordinary reception to Prime Minister of Israel Golda Meir in a sukkah, emphasizing his support for the State of Israel in the Arab–Israeli conflict.Taffet 2013 Results Turnout dropped to 2.4 million from 2.6 million in 1965. (In the same election, Lindsay's 1965 opponent Abe Beame was easily returned to his old job of Comptroller.)page 437 of The Ungovernable City: John Lindsay and His Struggle to Save New York By Vincent J. Cannato (Basic Books, 2001, 0-465-00843-7) 1969 New York City mayoral election John Lindsay (incumbent) Liberal Party of New York 872,660 36.50% 25.5 John Lindsay (incumbent) Independent politician 139,973 5.85% John Lindsay (incumbent) Total 1,012,633 42.35% 2.6 Mario Procaccino Democratic Party (US) 774,708 32.40% 6.1 Mario Procaccino Civil Service 57,064 2.39% 0.1 Mario Procaccino Total 831,772 34.79% 6.2 John J. Marchi Republican Party (US) 329,506 13.78% John J. Marchi Conservative Party of New York 212,905 8.91% 5.5 John J. Marchi Total 542,411 22.69% N/A Rasheed Storey Communist Party USA 4,018 0.17% N/A 2,390,834 100.00% By themselves, the straight Democratic and Republican lines added up to less than 50% of the mayoral vote (1,104,214 or 46.2%), but more than the total vote for Lindsay (1,012,633 or 42.4%). Procaccino's general election votes on the Democratic line alone (774,708) were slightly fewer than the total votes received by all candidates in the Democratic primary (777,796). Lindsay's general election votes on the Liberal line alone (872,660) exceeded Procaccino's total votes on all lines (831,772). Results by borough Reflecting the three-way split in the race, three candidates garnered double-digit support citywide, and the five boroughs split between the three candidates. Lindsay scored a major victory in Manhattan with 67.1% of the vote, while also winning a narrow plurality in Queens with 36.3% of the vote. Procaccino won pluralities by small margins in Brooklyn and the Bronx. Marchi won Staten Island with 62.0% of the vote. 1969 General ElectionpartyManhattanThe BronxBrooklynQueens Richmond [Staten Is.]Total%John V. LindsayLiberal - Independent328,564161,953256,046249,33016,7401,012,63342.4%67.1%40.1%36.0%36.3%17.5%Mario ProcaccinoDemocratic - Civil Service Fusion99,460165,647301,324245,78319,558831,77234.8% 20.3%41.0%42.4%35.8%20.5%John MarchiRepublican - Conservative61,53976,711152,933192,00859,220542,41122.7% 12.6%19.0%21.5%27.9%62.0%subtotal489,563404,311710,303687,12195,5182,386,81699.8% Rasheed StoreyCommunist 4,0180.2%T O T A L 2,390,834100.0% References 30em Further reading Cannato, Vincent, J. The Ungovernable City: John Lindsay and His Struggle to Save New York (2001) pp 389–42 excerpt Klebanoff, Arthur M. "Is There a Jewish Vote." Commentary 49.1 (1970): 43–47. Lizzi, Maria C. "" My Heart Is as Black as Yours": White Backlash, Racial Identity, and Italian American Stereotypes in New York City's 1969 Mayoral Campaign." Journal of American Ethnic History (2008): 43-80. in JSTOR Morris, Charles R. The Cost of Good Intentions: New York City and the Liberal Experiment (1980) Taffet Jeffrey F. The Snubs and the 'Sukkah': John Lindsay and Jewish Voters in New York City American Jewish History 2013 97 4 413–438 10.1353/ajh.2013.0035 http://muse.jhu.edu/login?auth=0&type=summary&url=/journals/american_jewish_history/v097/97.4.taffet.html subscription collapsed Mayoral election, 1969 1969 New York City mayoral Category:1969 United States mayoral elections Category:November 1969 in the United States