1997 New York City mayoral election

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)

Declined

• David Dinkins, former New York City mayor (1990–1993) and Manhattan Borough President (1986–1989)
• Alan Hevesi, New York City Comptroller (1994–2001)
• Carl McCall, New York State Comptroller (1993–2002)
• Mark Green, New York City Public Advocate
• Peter Vallone Sr., New York City Council
• Bill Bratton, former New York City Police Commissioner (1994–96, 2014–16)

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, 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

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.

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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. 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."

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. The results of the Democratic primary were contested in court by Sharpton, who argued that he qualified for a run-off election with Messinger. Sharpton waited until October to endorse Messinger against Giuliani, and the endorsement was perceived by some as tepid.

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.

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. All four daily New York newspapers—The New York Times, New York Daily News, New York Post, and Newsday—endorsed Giuliani over Messinger. 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. 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

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. The margin of victory was not quite as large as pre-election polls had predicted; 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."

Voter demographics

References

References

1. (13 May 1997). "Ferrer to Withdraw From the Campaign To Unseat Giuliani". [[The New York Times]].
2. (12 February 1997). "Advisers Say Dinkins Won't Run for Mayor". [[The New York Times]].
3. (26 November 1996). "Hevesi Says He Won't Run for Mayor, Citing Family and Desire to Remain Comptroller". [[The New York Times]].
4. (10 April 1996). "Green Decides Not to Run For Mayor". [[The New York Times]].
5. (3 January 1997). "New York's Giuliani Makes Crime His Issue". [[CNN]].
6. Harden, Blaine. (September 10, 1997). "Sharpton Exults in N.Y. Primary Showing". [[The Washington Post]].
7. (September 18, 1997). "N.Y. Runoff Canceled, Sharpton Files Suit".
8. Lynn, Frank. (1989-07-21). "Giuliani Files 2 Challenges To Take Lauder off Ballot". The New York Times.
9. (9 September 2007). "America's Mayor Goes to America". The New York Times.
10. "AllPolitics - Giuliani Wins With Ease - Nov. 4, 1997".
11. Nagourney, Adam. (September 19, 1997). "Race For City Hall: The Overview; Messinger Aims for Giuliani, and Sharpton Heads for Court". [[The New York Times]].
12. Nagourney, Adam. (October 13, 1997). "Sharpton and Messinger Seal Awkward Political Alliance". [[The New York Times]].
13. link. (2008-01-12 , [[Quinnipiac University Poll]], October 29, 1997. Accessed June 24, 2007.)
14. Beinart, Peter. (November 10, 1997). "The Last of the Liberals".
15. Onishi, Norimitsu. (1997-10-27). "The 1997 Elections: The Campaigning; Giuliani Goes After Voters In Messinger's Stronghold". [[The New York Times]].
16. Nagourney, Adam. (1997-10-30). "The 1997 Elections: The Candidates; Giuliani Shrugs Off Messinger's Attacks in Debate". [[The New York Times]].
17. (10 October 1997). "Race For City Hall: The Overview; Sharp Exchanges Pepper Debate Between Giuliani and Messinger". [[The New York Times]].
18. 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". The New York Times.
19. Firestone, David. (1997-11-06). "The 1997 Elections: The Voters; Big Victory, but Gains For Mayor Are Modest". The New York Times.
20. "Our Campaigns - New York City Mayor Race - Nov 04, 1997".
21. "New York City Exit Poll Results -- Nov. 4, 1997 (Mayor's Race)".