The 2009 election for Mayor of New York City took place on Tuesday, November 3. Incumbent Michael Bloomberg, an independent who left the Republican Party in 2007, was reelected 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%.Board of Elections in the City of New York, Statement and Return Report for Certification General Election 2009 – 11/03/2009 Crossover – All Parties and Independent Bodies Mayor Citywide (PDF) , November 24, 2009, retrieved on November 27, 2009. Thompson had won the Democratic primary election on September 15 with 71% of the vote, over City Councilman Tony Avella and Roland Rogers.Board of Elections in the City of New York , Statement and Return Report for Certification Primary Election 2009 – 09/15/2009 Crossover – Democratic Party Democratic Mayor Citywide (PDF) , September 25–26, 2009, retrieved on October 21, 2009. This was the fifth straight mayoral victory by Republican nominees in New York, and the most recent to date, despite the city's strong Democratic lean 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 vote, 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. Democrats flipped back the borough of Brooklyn.

Before the election, the New York City Council 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 by way of Local Law 51 of 2008.Sewell Chan and Jonathan P. Hicks, Council Votes, 29 to 22, to Extend Term Limits, The New York Times, published on-line and retrieved on October 23, 2008. Attempts to put this decision to a popular referendum, to reverse it in the federal courts,Fernanda Santos: The Future of Term Limits Is in Court, The New York Times, New York edition, October 24, 2008, page A24 (retrieved on October 24, 2008), Judge Rejects Suit Over Term Limits, The New York Times, New York edition, January 14, 2009, page A26, and Appeals Court Upholds Term Limits Revision, The New York Times City Room Blog, April 28, 2009 (both retrieved on July 6, 2009). The original January decision by Judge Charles Sifton of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York (Long Island, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island) was upheld by a three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (Vermont, Connecticut, and New York state). or to override it with state legislation were unsuccessful.

Background

New York City elected its Mayor 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, Rudy Giuliani, elected in 1993 and 1997. Bloomberg left the Republican Party in 2008 and became a political independent. By a hotly 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 Bloomberg to pursue his announced intention to seek 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.

Republican primary Candidates

Nominee Michael Bloomberg, incumbent mayor since 2002 (Independent)

Withdrew

Bruce Blakeman, attorney and member of the board of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (endorsed Bloomberg)

Declined

Richard Parsons, chairman of Citigroup (endorsed Bloomberg)

Results Though he had changed his party registration to unaffiliated, Bloomberg was unopposed for the Republican nomination in the party primary.The New York Post, New York – Summary Vote Results Mayor-NYC – Citywide – Dem Primary , published and retrieved on September 16, 2009.Emily S. Rebb, "Seven Others Striving to Win the Mayor's Job", The New York Times, published on line October 13, 2009, retrieved October 14, 2009.

Democratic primary

Candidates Tony Avella, member of the New York City Council from QueensElections Board in the City of New York: The Contest List, Primary Election 2009 , as published and retrieved on July 28, 2009.Tony Avella for Mayor Roland Rogers Bill Thompson, New York City Comptroller since 2002 (Democratic and Working Families)

Withdrew Anthony Weiner, U.S. representative (withdrew on May 28, 2009) (endorsed Thompson)

Campaign Thompson and Avella held their first televised debate on August 26 at the New York Public Library. They both directed more fire at 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", Thompson said, 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."Adam Lisberg, "Debaters take aim at Mike", New York Daily News, Thursday, August 27, 2009, page 17, and "Bill Thompson and Tony Avella square off, gang up on Mayor Bloomberg in 1st debate", Daily News web-site, Thursday, August 27, 2009, 4:00 AM, retrieved on September 1, 2009. Another debate was held on September 9.

+ 2009 New York City mayoral election democratic primary debates Date Host Moderator Link Democratic DemocraticKey: Participant  Absent  Not invited  Invited Withdrawn Tony Avella Bill Thompson1 Aug. 26, 2009 Citizens Union, New York OneNew York One NoticiasNew York Daily NewsNew York City Campaign Finance BoardTime Warner Cable, and WNYC-FM Dominic Carter YouTube 2 Sep. 9, 2009 1010 WINSLeague of Women Voters of New York CityNew York City Campaign Finance BoardUnivision, and WABC-TV Bill Ritter YouTube

Results

2009 Democratic primaryManhattanThe BronxBrooklynQueens Staten IslandTotal% Bill Thompson70,88131,95075,51949,0637,484234,89771.0% 73.7%73.5%73.9%63.2%67.0%Tony Avella18,2137,75417,94522,9032,95969,77421.1% 18.9%17.8%17.6%29.5%26.5%Roland Rogers6,9753,7518,6125,55370025,5917.7% 7.3%8.6%8.4%7.2%6.3%all write-in votes1271015381263970.1% 0.1%0.02%0.1%0.1%0.2%T O T A L96,19643,465102,22977,60011,169330,659 

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.

General election Candidates Michael Bloomberg, incumbent mayor since 2002 (Independence/Jobs & Education and Republican)"Mike Working Key Labor Party", New York Daily News, April 13, 2009, retrieved April 2009. Stephen Christopher, pastor at Memorial Baptist Church in Park Slope Joseph Dobrian, journalist and talk show host (Libertarian) Tyrrell Eiland, architect (New Voice) Dan Fein, candidate for Comptroller in 2005 (Socialist Workers)Board of Elections in the City of New York 2005 General Election official results John M. Finan, businessman and Libertarian Party candidate for president in 2008 (Independent) Jimmy McMillan, war veteran and candidate for mayor in 2005 (Rent is 2 Damn High) Jonny Porkpie, burlesque performer (Independent)Jonny Porkpie Lives in Mary Carey's Shadow . New York Press (August 6, 2009).JonnyPorkpie.comJonnie Porkpie, New York's "Mayor of Burlesque," Wants To Be New York's "Mayor of New York" . The L Magazine (August 6, 2009). Billy Talen, reverend (Green)Reverend Billy Announces NYC Green Party Mayoral Bid – Hosannah! Say 'Church of Life After Shopping' Supporters Bill Thompson, New York City Comptroller since 2002 (Democratic and Working Families) Frances Villar, Lehman College student activist (Socialism and Liberation)

Withdrew Robert Burck, street performer known as the Naked Cowboy. Associated Press (July 21, 2009). (withdrew September 2009)

Debates + 2009 New York City mayoral election debates Date Host Moderator Link Independent DemocraticKey: Participant  Absent  Not invited  Invited Withdrawn Michael Bloomberg Bill Thompson1 Oct. 13, 2009 Citizens Union, New York OneNew York One NoticiasNew York Daily NewsNew York City Campaign Finance BoardWNYC-FM Dominic Carter YouTube 2 Oct. 27, 2009 1010 WINSLeague of Women Voters of New York CityNew York City Campaign Finance BoardUnivision, and WABC-TV Bill Ritter YouTube

Endorsements In the final weeks of the campaign, Bloomberg was endorsed "enthusiastically" by the New York Times, which—while calling Thompson a "worthy opponent"—praised Bloomberg for handling city matters "astonishingly well"."For Mayor of New York City". New York Times. Editorial (NYC, NY). October 23, 2009. Most other local newspapers had preceded the Times in endorsing the mayor,Katz, Celeste. "Thompson 2; Bloomberg, 24". New York Daily News. (NYC, NY). September 3, 2009. but many did so tepidly, presaging the misgivings of The New Yorker. In a report filed days before the election, the magazine likened Bloomberg to Marcus Licinius Crassus:Hertzberg, Hendrik. "Biggus Buckus". The New Yorker. (NYC, NY). November 9, 2009.

Polling Post-primary match-up Source Date Bloomberg(ind.-R-Indep'ce) Thompson (D-Working Families) Christopher(Conservative)Nov. 3 resultsNovember 24, 2009 50.7% 46.3% 1.6%SurveyUSASurveyUSA October 30, 2009 53% 42%  MaristMarist October 30, 2009 53% 38%  QuinnipiacQuinnipiacOctober 26, 2009 53% 35% 3%SurveyUSASurveyUSAOctober 19, 2009 53% 41%  SurveyUSASurveyUSAOctober 12, 2009 55% 38%  Daily NewsDaily NewsOctober 6, 2009 51% 43%QuinnipiacQuinnipiacSeptember 24, 2009 52% 36% 2%MaristMaristSeptember 17, 2009 52% 43%  QuinnipiacQuinnipiacAugust 26, 200950%35%QuinnipiacQuinnipiacJuly 21, 200947%37%MaristJune 29, 200948%35%QuinnipiacQuinnipiacJune 9, 200954%32%NY1 May 12, 200947%31%MaristMay 5, 200951%33%QuinnipiacQuinnipiacMarch 17, 200949%35%QuinnipiacQuinnipiacFebruary 17, 200950%33%QuinnipiacQuinnipiacJanuary 20, 200950%34%NY1NY1January 20, 200945%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 Source Date Approval rating Disapproval ratingQuinnipiac 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 MayorMarist PollMarist Poll July 8, 2009 44% 51%

Results

By borough