New York City mayoral election, 2009
Encyclopedia
The 2009 election for Mayor of New York City
took place on Tuesday, November 3. The incumbent Mayor, Michael Bloomberg
, an independent who left the Republican Party in 2008, won reelection on the Republican
and Independence Party
/Jobs & Education lines with 50.7% of the vote over the retiring City Comptroller
, Bill Thompson
, a Democrat
(also endorsed by the Working Families Party
), who won 46.3%. Thompson had won the Democratic primary election on September 15 with 71% of the vote over City Councilman Tony Avella
and Roland Rogers. This was the fifth straight mayoral victory by Republican candidates in New York despite the city's strongly Democratic leaning in national and state elections.
Six other parties' candidates also contested the general election in November. Stephen Christopher of the Conservative Party of New York
won 1.6% of the votes, more than the combined total of all the other minor candidates. The turnout of voters—fewer than 350,000 in September and fewer than 1.2 million in November—was relatively low for recent mayoral elections, and Bloomberg won with fewer votes than any successful mayoral candidate had received since women joined the city's electorate in 1917.
Prior to the election, the New York City Council
had voted to extend the city's term limits, permitting Bloomberg (previously elected in 2001
and 2005
) and other second-term officeholders such as Thompson to run for a third term. Attempts to put this decision to a popular referendum
, to reverse it in the federal courts
or to override it with state legislation
were unsuccessful.
by popular vote when Greater New York
was formed in 1897, then in 1901, 1903, 1905 and every four years thereafter, as well as in the special elections of 1930 and 1950.
Nineteen of the 31 mayoral elections held between 1897 and 2005 were won by the official candidate of the Democratic Party, eight by the Republican Party's nominee, and four by others. (The last official Democratic candidate to win the mayoralty was David Dinkins
in the election of 1989; the last candidate to win the mayoralty without winning either the Republican or the Democratic primary was Mayor John V. Lindsay, running for re-election on the Liberal
column in 1969.)
Michael Bloomberg
, formerly a Democrat, was elected as a Republican in 2001
and 2005
, succeeding another Republican mayor, Rudolph Giuliani, elected in 1993 and 1997
. Bloomberg left the Republican Party in 2008, and is now a political independent.
By a heatedly-contested vote of 29–22 on October 23, 2008, the New York City Council
extended the former two-term limit for Mayor, Council and other elected city offices to three terms, allowing Mayor Bloomberg to pursue his announced intention of seeking a third term in 2009. Legal challenges to the extension failed in Federal court, and a proposed law in the New York State Legislature to override the extension was not passed.
Bloomberg's most prominent opponent was Bill Thompson
, who could (similarly) have run for a third term as New York City Comptroller
in 2009, but instead sought and won the Democratic nomination for Mayor.
Party for Socialism and Liberation
Rent Is 2 Damn High
Socialist Workers Party
nomination, and Stephen Christopher was unopposed for the Conservative Party
nomination.
. They both directed more fire at Mayor Bloomberg than at each other. "After eight years of a Republican mayor who is focused on developers and the wealthy, I think New Yorkers are looking for change," said Thompson, while Avella declared that the "arrogance of billionaire Mike Bloomberg to think he's so important that he can overturn the term limits law, I think, is disgraceful." Another debate was held on September 9.
From the Board of Elections in the City of New York
, September 26, 2009
Tony Avella
is a member of the New York City Council
, representing a district in Queens
. Out of the nearly 400 write-in votes, almost half or 184 (representing about one Democratic voter in 2,000) were some form or spelling of Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
. In a report filed days before the election, the magazine likened Bloomberg to Marcus Licinius Crassus
:
Mayor of New York City
The Mayor of the City of New York is head of the executive branch of New York City's government. The mayor's office administers all city services, public property, police and fire protection, most public agencies, and enforces all city and state laws within New York City.The budget overseen by the...
took place on Tuesday, November 3. The incumbent Mayor, Michael Bloomberg
Michael Bloomberg
Michael Rubens Bloomberg is the current Mayor of New York City. With a net worth of $19.5 billion in 2011, he is also the 12th-richest person in the United States...
, an independent who left the Republican Party in 2008, won reelection on the Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
and Independence Party
Independence Party of New York
The Independence Party is an affiliate in the U.S. state of New York of the Independence Party of America. The party was founded in 1991 by Dr. Gordon Black, Tom Golisano, and Laureen Oliver from Rochester, New York, and acquired ballot status in 1994...
/Jobs & Education lines with 50.7% of the vote over the retiring City Comptroller
New York City Comptroller
The Office of Comptroller of New York City is the chief fiscal officer and chief auditing officer of the city. The comptroller is elected, citywide, to a four-year term and can hold office for three consecutive terms. The current comptroller is Democrat John Liu, formerly a member of the New York...
, Bill Thompson
Bill Thompson (New York)
William Colridge Thompson, Jr. , known as Bill or Billy, was the 42nd Comptroller of New York City. Sworn into office on January 1, 2002, he was reelected to serve a second term that began on January 1, 2006. He left office on December 31, 2009, having been succeeded by John Liu...
, a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
(also endorsed by the Working Families Party
Working Families Party
The Working Families Party is a minor political party in the United States founded in New York in 1998. There are "sister" parties to the New York WFP in Connecticut, Massachusetts, South Carolina, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Oregon, but there is as yet no national WFP...
), who won 46.3%. Thompson had won the Democratic primary election on September 15 with 71% of the vote over City Councilman Tony Avella
Tony Avella
Tony Avella is an American politician and Democratic State Senator from the 11th New York Senate district. Avella was a member of the New York City Council from the borough of Queens from 2002 to 2009...
and Roland Rogers. This was the fifth straight mayoral victory by Republican candidates in New York despite the city's strongly Democratic leaning in national and state elections.
Six other parties' candidates also contested the general election in November. Stephen Christopher of the Conservative Party of New York
Conservative Party of New York
The Conservative Party of New York State is an American political party active in the state of New York. It is not part of any nationwide party, nor is it affiliated with the American Conservative Party, which it predates by over 40 years....
won 1.6% of the votes, more than the combined total of all the other minor candidates. The turnout of voters—fewer than 350,000 in September and fewer than 1.2 million in November—was relatively low for recent mayoral elections, and Bloomberg won with fewer votes than any successful mayoral candidate had received since women joined the city's electorate in 1917.
Prior to the election, the New York City Council
New York City Council
The New York City Council is the lawmaking body of the City of New York. It has 51 members from 51 council districts throughout the five boroughs. The Council serves as a check against the mayor in a "strong" mayor-council government model. The council monitors performance of city agencies and...
had voted to extend the city's term limits, permitting Bloomberg (previously elected in 2001
New York City mayoral election, 2001
-Republican:- General election campaign:Unlike his cash-poor Democratic rival, who had just emerged from an expensive primary and expected to rely on traditionally reliable free media coverage that never materialized, Bloomberg continued to spend $74 million on TV ads and direct mail in the weeks...
and 2005
New York City mayoral election, 2005
The New York City mayoral election of 2005 occurred on Tuesday November 8, 2005, with incumbent Republican mayor Michael Bloomberg soundly defeating former Bronx borough president Fernando Ferrer, the Democratic nominee. They also faced several third party candidates.This was the fourth straight...
) and other second-term officeholders such as Thompson to run for a third term. Attempts to put this decision to a popular referendum
Popular referendum
A popular referendum is a type of a referendum that provides a means by which a petition signed by a certain minimum number of registered voters can force a...
, to reverse it in the federal courts
United States federal courts
The United States federal courts make up the judiciary branch of federal government of the United States organized under the United States Constitution and laws of the federal government.-Categories:...
or to override it with state legislation
New York Legislature
The New York State Legislature is the term often used to refer to the two houses that act as the state legislature of the U.S. state of New York. The New York Constitution does not designate an official term for the two houses together...
were unsuccessful.
Background
New York City elected its MayorMayor of New York City
The Mayor of the City of New York is head of the executive branch of New York City's government. The mayor's office administers all city services, public property, police and fire protection, most public agencies, and enforces all city and state laws within New York City.The budget overseen by the...
by popular vote when Greater New York
City of Greater New York
The City of Greater New York was a term commonly used originally to refer to the expanded city created on January 1, 1898 by the incorporation into the city of Richmond County, Kings County, Queens County, and the eastern part of what is now called The Bronx...
was formed in 1897, then in 1901, 1903, 1905 and every four years thereafter, as well as in the special elections of 1930 and 1950.
Nineteen of the 31 mayoral elections held between 1897 and 2005 were won by the official candidate of the Democratic Party, eight by the Republican Party's nominee, and four by others. (The last official Democratic candidate to win the mayoralty was David Dinkins
David Dinkins
David Norman Dinkins is a former politician from New York City. He was the Mayor of New York City from 1990 through 1993; he was the first and is, to date, the only African American to hold that office.-Early life:...
in the election of 1989; the last candidate to win the mayoralty without winning either the Republican or the Democratic primary was Mayor John V. Lindsay, running for re-election on the Liberal
Liberal Party of New York
The Liberal Party of New York is a minor American political party that has been active only in the state of New York. Its platform supports a standard set of social liberal policies: it supports right to abortion, increased spending on education, and universal health care.As of 2007, the Liberal...
column in 1969.)
Michael Bloomberg
Michael Bloomberg
Michael Rubens Bloomberg is the current Mayor of New York City. With a net worth of $19.5 billion in 2011, he is also the 12th-richest person in the United States...
, formerly a Democrat, was elected as a Republican in 2001
New York City mayoral election, 2001
-Republican:- General election campaign:Unlike his cash-poor Democratic rival, who had just emerged from an expensive primary and expected to rely on traditionally reliable free media coverage that never materialized, Bloomberg continued to spend $74 million on TV ads and direct mail in the weeks...
and 2005
New York City mayoral election, 2005
The New York City mayoral election of 2005 occurred on Tuesday November 8, 2005, with incumbent Republican mayor Michael Bloomberg soundly defeating former Bronx borough president Fernando Ferrer, the Democratic nominee. They also faced several third party candidates.This was the fourth straight...
, succeeding another Republican mayor, Rudolph Giuliani, elected in 1993 and 1997
New York City mayoral election, 1997
The New York City mayoral election of 1997 occurred on Tuesday November 4, 1997, with incumbent Republican mayor Rudy Giuliani soundly defeating Manhattan Borough President and former New York City Council member Ruth Messinger, the Democratic nominee...
. Bloomberg left the Republican Party in 2008, and is now a political independent.
By a heatedly-contested vote of 29–22 on October 23, 2008, the New York City Council
New York City Council
The New York City Council is the lawmaking body of the City of New York. It has 51 members from 51 council districts throughout the five boroughs. The Council serves as a check against the mayor in a "strong" mayor-council government model. The council monitors performance of city agencies and...
extended the former two-term limit for Mayor, Council and other elected city offices to three terms, allowing Mayor Bloomberg to pursue his announced intention of seeking a third term in 2009. Legal challenges to the extension failed in Federal court, and a proposed law in the New York State Legislature to override the extension was not passed.
Bloomberg's most prominent opponent was Bill Thompson
Bill Thompson (New York)
William Colridge Thompson, Jr. , known as Bill or Billy, was the 42nd Comptroller of New York City. Sworn into office on January 1, 2002, he was reelected to serve a second term that began on January 1, 2006. He left office on December 31, 2009, having been succeeded by John Liu...
, who could (similarly) have run for a third term as New York City Comptroller
New York City Comptroller
The Office of Comptroller of New York City is the chief fiscal officer and chief auditing officer of the city. The comptroller is elected, citywide, to a four-year term and can hold office for three consecutive terms. The current comptroller is Democrat John Liu, formerly a member of the New York...
in 2009, but instead sought and won the Democratic nomination for Mayor.
Democratic Party
- William C. ThompsonBill Thompson (New York)William Colridge Thompson, Jr. , known as Bill or Billy, was the 42nd Comptroller of New York City. Sworn into office on January 1, 2002, he was reelected to serve a second term that began on January 1, 2006. He left office on December 31, 2009, having been succeeded by John Liu...
, New York City ComptrollerNew York City ComptrollerThe Office of Comptroller of New York City is the chief fiscal officer and chief auditing officer of the city. The comptroller is elected, citywide, to a four-year term and can hold office for three consecutive terms. The current comptroller is Democrat John Liu, formerly a member of the New York...
from January 2002 to December 2009.. Bill Thompson was also the candidate of the Working Families PartyWorking Families PartyThe Working Families Party is a minor political party in the United States founded in New York in 1998. There are "sister" parties to the New York WFP in Connecticut, Massachusetts, South Carolina, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Oregon, but there is as yet no national WFP...
.
Working Families Party
- The Working Families PartyWorking Families PartyThe Working Families Party is a minor political party in the United States founded in New York in 1998. There are "sister" parties to the New York WFP in Connecticut, Massachusetts, South Carolina, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Oregon, but there is as yet no national WFP...
's candidate for mayor is the City Comptroller and Democratic nominee, William C. Thompson Jr.Bill Thompson (New York)William Colridge Thompson, Jr. , known as Bill or Billy, was the 42nd Comptroller of New York City. Sworn into office on January 1, 2002, he was reelected to serve a second term that began on January 1, 2006. He left office on December 31, 2009, having been succeeded by John Liu...
Republican Party
The Republican party backed incumbent Mayor Michael Bloomberg and did not field a candidate to stand against him.Independence Party
- Incumbent Mayor Michael BloombergMichael BloombergMichael Rubens Bloomberg is the current Mayor of New York City. With a net worth of $19.5 billion in 2011, he is also the 12th-richest person in the United States...
, a political independent who was the endorsed Independence PartyIndependence Party of New YorkThe Independence Party is an affiliate in the U.S. state of New York of the Independence Party of America. The party was founded in 1991 by Dr. Gordon Black, Tom Golisano, and Laureen Oliver from Rochester, New York, and acquired ballot status in 1994...
candidate, as well as the successful Republican primary nominee and an unsuccessful seeker of the Working Families PartyWorking Families PartyThe Working Families Party is a minor political party in the United States founded in New York in 1998. There are "sister" parties to the New York WFP in Connecticut, Massachusetts, South Carolina, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Oregon, but there is as yet no national WFP...
nomination. Since he belonged to no political party, Bloomberg used the nominal label of "independent–Jobs & Education", which was merged with the Independence Party's line on the general election ballot to read "Independence/Jobs & Education".
Conservative Party
- Stephen Christopher, a pastor at Memorial Baptist Church in Park Slope, BrooklynPark Slope, BrooklynPark Slope is a neighborhood in western Brooklyn, New York City's most populous borough. Park Slope is roughly bounded by Prospect Park West to the east, Fourth Avenue to the west, Flatbush Avenue to the north, and 15th Street to the south, though other definitions are sometimes offered. Generally...
, was unopposed for the nomination of the Conservative Party of New YorkConservative Party of New YorkThe Conservative Party of New York State is an American political party active in the state of New York. It is not part of any nationwide party, nor is it affiliated with the American Conservative Party, which it predates by over 40 years....
.
Green Party
- Reverend Billy Talen – announced his mayoral candidacy under the Green Party banner in Union Square on March 1, 2009.
Libertarian Party
- Joseph Dobrian – 2005 LibertarianLibertarian Party (United States)The Libertarian Party is the third largest and fastest growing political party in the United States. The political platform of the Libertarian Party reflects its brand of libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration...
candidate for Manhattan Borough President, journalist and TV talk show host.
New Voice Party
- Tyrrell Eiland, an architect by training who builds green charter schools and founded the New Voice Party. Eiland also sought the nomination of the Independence Party.
Party for Socialism and LiberationParty for Socialism and LiberationThe Party for Socialism and Liberation is a Marxist-Leninist political party in the United States. It was originally created as the result of a split within the ranks of Workers World Party , although their political line is nearly identical. The San Francisco branch as well as several other...
- Frances Villar – mother, student at Lehman CollegeLehman CollegeLehman College is one of the constituent colleges of the City University of New York, USA. Founded in 1931 as the Bronx campus of Hunter College, the school became an independent college within the City University in 1968. The college is named after Herbert Lehman, a former New York governor,...
, activist on domestic and international issues.
Rent Is 2 Damn HighRent Is Too Damn High PartyThe Rent Is Too Damn High Party is a political party in New York that has nominated candidates for mayor of New York City in 2005 and 2009 and for governor and senator in 2010. Jimmy McMillan was the mayoral candidate both times and a candidate for governor. In 2005, he received more than 4,000...
- Jimmy McMillanJimmy McMillanJames "Jimmy" McMillan III is an American political activist, perennial candidate, Vietnam War veteran, and karate expert, as well as a former postal worker and private investigator from Brooklyn, New York. He is best known as the founder of the Rent Is Too Damn High Party, a New York-based...
– war veteran and party candidate for Mayor in 2005New York City mayoral election, 2005The New York City mayoral election of 2005 occurred on Tuesday November 8, 2005, with incumbent Republican mayor Michael Bloomberg soundly defeating former Bronx borough president Fernando Ferrer, the Democratic nominee. They also faced several third party candidates.This was the fourth straight...
, when he won 4,111 votes (0.3% of the total); also registered for the 2009 Democratic mayoral primary ballot.
Socialist Workers PartySocialist Workers Party (United States)The Socialist Workers Party is a far-left political organization in the United States. The group places a priority on "solidarity work" to aid strikes and is strongly supportive of Cuba...
- Dan Fein – 2005 Candidate for New York City ComptrollerNew York City ComptrollerThe Office of Comptroller of New York City is the chief fiscal officer and chief auditing officer of the city. The comptroller is elected, citywide, to a four-year term and can hold office for three consecutive terms. The current comptroller is Democrat John Liu, formerly a member of the New York...
Independents (no affiliation)
- Jonny PorkpieJonny PorkpieJonny Porkpie is a New York City-based writer, director, and performer in neo-burlesque. So called for his pork pie hat, Jonny Porkpie creates and hosts scripted theme-based burlesque shows as part of his production company, Pinchbottom, as well as solo productions under the title "Jonny Porkpie's...
, the "Burlesque Mayor of NYC" Announced his candidacy on August 3, 2009 , targeting "The Naked Cowboy" as his main opponent. - John M. Finan, Chief Executive Officer, New York City Consulting Group LLC, and a candidate for the Libertarian Party's 2008 nomination for U.S. President.
Democratic Party
- Tony AvellaTony AvellaTony Avella is an American politician and Democratic State Senator from the 11th New York Senate district. Avella was a member of the New York City Council from the borough of Queens from 2002 to 2009...
, current City CouncilNew York City CouncilThe New York City Council is the lawmaking body of the City of New York. It has 51 members from 51 council districts throughout the five boroughs. The Council serves as a check against the mayor in a "strong" mayor-council government model. The council monitors performance of city agencies and...
-member representing District 19 in QueensQueensQueens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
- Roland Rogers
- Jimmy McMillanJimmy McMillanJames "Jimmy" McMillan III is an American political activist, perennial candidate, Vietnam War veteran, and karate expert, as well as a former postal worker and private investigator from Brooklyn, New York. He is best known as the founder of the Rent Is Too Damn High Party, a New York-based...
, also the candidate of the Rent Is Too Damn High Party in both 2005New York City mayoral election, 2005The New York City mayoral election of 2005 occurred on Tuesday November 8, 2005, with incumbent Republican mayor Michael Bloomberg soundly defeating former Bronx borough president Fernando Ferrer, the Democratic nominee. They also faced several third party candidates.This was the fourth straight...
and 2009. McMillan received 23 write-in votes in the 2009 Democratic mayoral primary.
- Congressman Anthony Weiner, had announced that he was a candidate for mayor, but withdrew his candidacy on May 28, 2009 and endorsed Bill Thompson.
Republican party
- Walter Iwachiw, a registered nurseRegistered nurseA registered nurse is a nurse who has graduated from a nursing program at a university or college and has passed a national licensing exam. A registered nurse helps individuals, families, and groups to achieve health and prevent disease...
who ran as an independent in the 2001 mayoral electionNew York City mayoral election, 2001-Republican:- General election campaign:Unlike his cash-poor Democratic rival, who had just emerged from an expensive primary and expected to rely on traditionally reliable free media coverage that never materialized, Bloomberg continued to spend $74 million on TV ads and direct mail in the weeks...
- Bruce Blakeman, attorney and Port Authority of New York and New JerseyPort Authority of New York and New JerseyThe Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is a bi-state port district, established in 1921 through an interstate compact, that runs most of the regional transportation infrastructure, including the bridges, tunnels, airports, and seaports, within the Port of New York and New Jersey...
Board Member, dropped out and endorsed Michael Bloomberg
- Richard Parsons, chairman of CitigroupCitigroupCitigroup Inc. or Citi is an American multinational financial services corporation headquartered in Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States. Citigroup was formed from one of the world's largest mergers in history by combining the banking giant Citicorp and financial conglomerate...
, insisted he was never going to run and endorsed Michael Bloomberg
Independence Party
- Tyrrell L. Eiland, non-profit executive, green architectural designer, and author Eiland is now running as the candidate of the New Voice Party.
Independents (no affiliation)
- Robert BurckNaked CowboyRobert John Burck , better known as the Naked Cowboy, is an American street performer whose pitch is on New York City's Times Square...
, the "Naked Cowboy" Announced his candidacy on July 22, 2009 and withdrew in early September, 2009
Uncontested nominations
Bloomberg was unopposed for the Republican and Independence Party nominations (which he had also won in 2001 and 2005), Thompson was unopposed for the Working Families PartyWorking Families Party
The Working Families Party is a minor political party in the United States founded in New York in 1998. There are "sister" parties to the New York WFP in Connecticut, Massachusetts, South Carolina, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Oregon, but there is as yet no national WFP...
nomination, and Stephen Christopher was unopposed for the Conservative Party
Conservative Party of New York
The Conservative Party of New York State is an American political party active in the state of New York. It is not part of any nationwide party, nor is it affiliated with the American Conservative Party, which it predates by over 40 years....
nomination.
Campaign
City Comptroller Bill Thompson and Councilman Tony Avella held their first televised debate on Wednesday, August 26, at the New York Public LibraryNew York Public Library
The New York Public Library is the largest public library in North America and is one of the United States' most significant research libraries...
. They both directed more fire at Mayor Bloomberg than at each other. "After eight years of a Republican mayor who is focused on developers and the wealthy, I think New Yorkers are looking for change," said Thompson, while Avella declared that the "arrogance of billionaire Mike Bloomberg to think he's so important that he can overturn the term limits law, I think, is disgraceful." Another debate was held on September 9.
Primary election results
Tuesday, September 15, 2009From the Board of Elections in the City of New York
New York City Board of Elections
The Board of Elections in the City of New York meets once a week at 32 Broadway, New York NY, on the Sixth Floor. By law, there are ten commissioners, two from each of the five boroughs of New York City. One of these two is from each of the two parties whose candidates got the most votes in the...
, September 26, 2009
| 2009 Democratic primary | Manhattan Manhattan Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York... |
The Bronx The Bronx The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated... |
Brooklyn Brooklyn Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated... |
Queens Queens Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States.... |
Staten Island Staten Island Staten Island is a borough of New York City, New York, United States, located in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay... |
Total | % |
| William C. Thompson, Jr. | 70,881 | 31,950 | 75,519 | 49,063 | 7,484 | 234,897 | 71.0% |
| 73.7% | 73.5% | 73.9% | 63.2% | 67.0% | |||
| Tony Avella Tony Avella Tony Avella is an American politician and Democratic State Senator from the 11th New York Senate district. Avella was a member of the New York City Council from the borough of Queens from 2002 to 2009... |
18,213 | 7,754 | 17,945 | 22,903 | 2,959 | 69,774 | 21.1% |
| 18.9% | 17.8% | 17.6% | 29.5% | 26.5% | |||
| Roland Rogers | 6,975 | 3,751 | 8,612 | 5,553 | 700 | 25,591 | 7.7% |
| 7.3% | 8.6% | 8.4% | 7.2% | 6.3% | |||
| all Write-In votes | 127 | 10 | 153 | 81 | 26 | 397 | 0.1% |
| 0.1% | 0.02% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.2% | |||
| T O T A L | 96,196 | 43,465 | 102,229 | 77,600 | 11,169 | 330,659 | |
Tony Avella
Tony Avella
Tony Avella is an American politician and Democratic State Senator from the 11th New York Senate district. Avella was a member of the New York City Council from the borough of Queens from 2002 to 2009...
is a member of the New York City Council
New York City Council
The New York City Council is the lawmaking body of the City of New York. It has 51 members from 51 council districts throughout the five boroughs. The Council serves as a check against the mayor in a "strong" mayor-council government model. The council monitors performance of city agencies and...
, representing a district in Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
. Out of the nearly 400 write-in votes, almost half or 184 (representing about one Democratic voter in 2,000) were some form or spelling of Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Endorsements and public reception
In the final weeks of the campaign, Mayor Bloomberg was endorsed "enthusiastically" by the New York Times, which - while acknowledging Bill Thompson as a "worthy opponent" - praised Bloomberg for handling city matters "astonishingly well". Most other local newspapers had preceded the Times in endorsing the mayor, but many did so tepidly, presaging the misgivings of The New YorkerThe New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
. In a report filed days before the election, the magazine likened Bloomberg to Marcus Licinius Crassus
Marcus Licinius Crassus
Marcus Licinius Crassus was a Roman general and politician who commanded the right wing of Sulla's army at the Battle of the Colline Gate, suppressed the slave revolt led by Spartacus, provided political and financial support to Julius Caesar and entered into the political alliance known as the...
:
Post-primary match-up
| Source | Date | Bloomberg (ind.-R-Indep'ce) |
Thompson (D-Working Families) | Christopher (Conservative) |
| Nov. 3 results | November 24, 2009 | 50.7% | 46.3% | 1.6% |
| SurveyUSA | October 30, 2009 | 53% | 42% | |
| Marist | October 30, 2009 | 53% | 38% | |
| Quinnipiac | October 26, 2009 | 53% | 35% | 3% |
| SurveyUSA | October 19, 2009 | 53% | 41% | |
| SurveyUSA | October 12, 2009 | 55% | 38% | |
| Daily News | October 6, 2009 | 51% | 43% | |
| Quinnipiac | September 24, 2009 | 52% | 36% | 2% |
| Marist | September 17, 2009 | 52% | 43% | |
Bloomberg vs. Thompson
| Source | Date | Bloomberg (ind) | Thompson (D) |
| Quinnipiac | August 26, 2009 | 50% | 35% |
| Quinnipiac | July 21, 2009 | 47% | 37% |
| Marist | June 29, 2009 | 48% | 35% |
| Quinnipiac | June 9, 2009 | 54% | 32% |
| NY1 | May 12, 2009 | 47% | 31% |
| Marist | May 5, 2009 | 51% | 33% |
| Quinnipiac | March 17, 2009 | 49% | 35% |
| Quinnipiac | February 17, 2009 | 50% | 33% |
| Quinnipiac | January 20, 2009 | 50% | 34% |
| NY1 | January 20, 2009 | 45% | 32% |
Bloomberg vs. Avella
| Source | Date | Bloomberg (ind) | Avella (D) |
| Quinnipiac | July 21, 2009 | 51% | 28% |
| Marist | June 29, 2009 | 53% | 29% |
| Quinnipiac | June 9, 2009 | 57% | 27% |
| Marist | May 5, 2009 | 52% | 27% |
Bloomberg approval ratings
The first table shows Bloomberg's approval ratings since June 2009. The other table shows whether or not people want a new mayor.| Source | Date | Approval Rating | Disapproval Rating |
| Quinnipiac | July 21, 2009 | 63% | 29% |
| Quinnipiac | July 9, 2009 | 66% | 27% |
| Marist | June 29, 2009 | 58% | 40% |
| Source | Date | Bloomberg Deserves Reelection | Time for a New Mayor |
| Marist Poll | July 8, 2009 | 44% | 51% |
General election results
Tuesday, November 3, 2009| 2009 General election | party | Manhattan | The Bronx | Brooklyn | Queens | Staten Island | Total | % |
| Bloomberg's margin over Mark Green Mark Green Mark Andrew Green is an American politician and a former United States Ambassador to Tanzania, a position he held from August 2007 until January 2009. He was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1999 to 2007, representing... (2001) |
– 22,777 | – 21,683 | – 28,182 | + 46,904 | + 61,227 | + 35,489 | + 2.4% | |
| change in Bloomberg's margin of victory, 2001–2005 | – 19,634 | – 10,705 | + 17.0% | |||||
| Bloomberg's margin over Fernando Ferrer Fernando Ferrer Fernando James "Freddy" Ferrer was the Borough President of The Bronx from 1987 to 2001, and was a candidate for Mayor of New York in 2001 and the Democratic Party nominee for Mayor in 2005.- Background :... (2005) |
+ 76,196 | – 41,317 | + 69,440 | + 95,029 | + 50,522 | + 249,870 | + 19.4% | |
| change in Bloomberg's margin of victory, 2005–2009 | – 35,010 | – 91,392 | – 59,742 | – 19,397 | – 199,273 | – 15.0% | ||
| Bloomberg's margin over Bill Thompson (2009) | + 41,186 | – 35,049 | – 21,952 | + 35,287 | + 31,125 | + 50,597 | + 4.4% | |
| net change in Bloomberg's margin, 2001–2009 | – 13,366 | + 6,230 | – 11,617 | – 30,102 | + 2.0% | |||
| Michael R. Bloomberg Michael Bloomberg Michael Rubens Bloomberg is the current Mayor of New York City. With a net worth of $19.5 billion in 2011, he is also the 12th-richest person in the United States... |
Republican | 102,903 | 42,066 | 117,706 | 126,569 | 46,149 | 435,393 | 37.7% |
| 35.9% | 29.0% | 34.6% | 42.3% | 55.4% | ||||
| Independence Independence Party of New York The Independence Party is an affiliate in the U.S. state of New York of the Independence Party of America. The party was founded in 1991 by Dr. Gordon Black, Tom Golisano, and Laureen Oliver from Rochester, New York, and acquired ballot status in 1994... /Jobs & Education |
56,934 | 11,730 | 36,033 | 36,364 | 9,012 | 150,073 | 13.0% | |
| 19.9% | 8.1% | 10.6% | 12.2% | 10.8% | ||||
| | | ||||||||
| Total | 159,837 | 53,796 | 153,739 | 162,933 | 55,161 | 585,466 | 50.7% | |
| 55.8% | 37.0% | 45.1% | 54.5% | 66.2% | ||||
| William C. Thompson, Jr. | Democratic | 110,975 | 86,899 | 163,230 | 122,935 | 22,956 | 506,995 | 43.9% |
| 38.7% | 59.8% | 47.9% | 41.1% | 27.5% | ||||
| Working Families Party Working Families Party The Working Families Party is a minor political party in the United States founded in New York in 1998. There are "sister" parties to the New York WFP in Connecticut, Massachusetts, South Carolina, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Oregon, but there is as yet no national WFP... |
7,676 | 1,946 | 12,461 | 4,711 | 1,080 | 27,874 | 2.4% | |
| 2.7% | 1.3% | 3.7% | 1.6% | 1.3% | ||||
| Total | 118,651 | 88,845 | 175,691 | 127,646 | 24,036 | 534,869 | 46.3% | |
| 41.4% | 61.2% | 51.6% | 42.7% | 28.8% | ||||
| Stephen Christopher | Conservative Conservative Party of New York The Conservative Party of New York State is an American political party active in the state of New York. It is not part of any nationwide party, nor is it affiliated with the American Conservative Party, which it predates by over 40 years.... |
2,217 | 1,480 | 5,690 | 5,267 | 3,359 | 18,013 | 1.6% |
| 0.8% | 1.0% | 1.7% | 1.8% | 4.0% | ||||
| Billy Talen | Green | 3,083 | 434 | 3,338 | 1,680 | 367 | 8,902 | 0.8% |
| 1.1% | 0.3% | 1.0% | 0.6% | 0.4% | ||||
| Francisca Villar | Socialism & Liberation Party for Socialism and Liberation The Party for Socialism and Liberation is a Marxist-Leninist political party in the United States. It was originally created as the result of a split within the ranks of Workers World Party , although their political line is nearly identical. The San Francisco branch as well as several other... |
1,470 | 742 | 601 | 564 | 140 | 3,517 | 0.3% |
| Jimmy McMillan Jimmy McMillan James "Jimmy" McMillan III is an American political activist, perennial candidate, Vietnam War veteran, and karate expert, as well as a former postal worker and private investigator from Brooklyn, New York. He is best known as the founder of the Rent Is Too Damn High Party, a New York-based... |
Rent Is Too High Rent Is Too Damn High Party The Rent Is Too Damn High Party is a political party in New York that has nominated candidates for mayor of New York City in 2005 and 2009 and for governor and senator in 2010. Jimmy McMillan was the mayoral candidate both times and a candidate for governor. In 2005, he received more than 4,000... |
823 | 217 | 764 | 404 | 124 | 2,332 | 0.2% |
| Joseph Dobrian | Libertarian | 556 | 104 | 413 | 388 | 155 | 1,616 | 0.1% |
| Dan Fein | Socialist Workers Socialist Workers Party (United States) The Socialist Workers Party is a far-left political organization in the United States. The group places a priority on "solidarity work" to aid strikes and is strongly supportive of Cuba... |
493 | 120 | 376 | 263 | 59 | 1,311 | 0.1% |
| Write-ins † | 100 | 30 | 77 | 60 | 30 | 297 | .03% | |
| Total recorded votes | 286,434 | 145,279 | 340,665 | 299,061 | 83,363 | 1,154,802 | 100.00% | |
| unrecorded ballots | 5,172 | 3,659 | 6,645 | 6,254 | 1,525 | 23,255 | ||
| Total ballots cast | 291,606 | 148,938 | 347,310 | 305,315 | 84,888 | 1,178,057 | ||
| † The three candidates who received more than 7 write-in votes each were C. Montgomery Burns (Homer Simpson Homer Simpson Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987... 's fictional boss), 27; City Councilman Tony Avella Tony Avella Tony Avella is an American politician and Democratic State Senator from the 11th New York Senate district. Avella was a member of the New York City Council from the borough of Queens from 2002 to 2009... (who lost the Democratic mayoral primary), 13; and former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani (Republican), 11. |
||||||||
| Source: Board of Elections in the City of New York, November 24, 2009 | ||||||||
See also
- New York City Public Advocate election, 2009New York City Public Advocate election, 2009The election of the New York City Public Advocate took place on Tuesday, November 3, 2009, along with elections for the Mayor, the City Comptroller, borough presidents, and members of the New York City Council...
- New York City Comptroller election, 2009New York City Comptroller election, 2009The 2009 election for New York City Comptroller was held on November 3, 2009 to coincide with the 2009 mayoral election. The Democratic and Republican primaries were held on September 15, 2009. There was a run-off election for the Democratic Party nomination on September 29, 2009.Joe Mendola was...
- New York City mayoral election, 2013New York City mayoral election, 2013The 2013 New York City mayoral election is scheduled to occur in November 2013.This election will feature no incumbent, as current Mayor Mike Bloomberg is term limited.-Declared:...
- New York City mayoral election, 2005New York City mayoral election, 2005The New York City mayoral election of 2005 occurred on Tuesday November 8, 2005, with incumbent Republican mayor Michael Bloomberg soundly defeating former Bronx borough president Fernando Ferrer, the Democratic nominee. They also faced several third party candidates.This was the fourth straight...
- New York City mayoral election, 2001New York City mayoral election, 2001-Republican:- General election campaign:Unlike his cash-poor Democratic rival, who had just emerged from an expensive primary and expected to rely on traditionally reliable free media coverage that never materialized, Bloomberg continued to spend $74 million on TV ads and direct mail in the weeks...
- New York City mayoral elections
External links
- 2009 New York City Mayor General Election: William Thompson (D) vs Mayor Michael Bloomberg (i) chart of aggregated poll results from Pollster.com