Wikipedia

2005 New York City mayoral election

The 2005 New York City mayoral election occurred on Tuesday, November 8, 2005, with incumbent Republican mayor Michael Bloomberg soundly defeating former Bronx borough president Fernando Ferrer, the Democratic nominee. Several third-party candidates also ran for mayor. In July, mayoral candidates filed nominating petitions with the City Board of Elections.

2005 New York City mayoral election
← 2001 November 8, 2005 2009 →
 
Nominee Michael Bloomberg Fernando Ferrer
Party Republican Democratic
Alliance Liberal
Independence 		Working Families[a]
Popular vote 753,090 503,219
Percentage 58.4% 39.0%
Borough results
Bloomberg:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%
Ferrer:      50–60%
Mayor before election

Michael Bloomberg
Republican

Elected Mayor

Michael Bloomberg
Republican

Bloomberg won four of the five boroughs, the exception being the Bronx. He flipped the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn. As of 2024, the 2005 election was the last time a Republican was elected mayor of New York City, and the last time a Republican line carried Brooklyn. Bloomberg left the Republican Party in 2007 to register as an independent, though he was nominated for re-election by the Republican Party in 2009.

Republican primary

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Candidates

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Campaign

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Tom Ognibene ran on a platform supporting tax cuts, education reform and opposed Mayor Bloomberg's smoking ban. He was expected to win the endorsement of the Conservative Party.[1] He received 8,100 signatures, 600 more than the necessary 7,500 signatures to appear on the primary ballot. However, the Bloomberg campaign challenged many signatures, leaving Ognibene with 5,848 eligible signatures and forcing him off the ballot. On August 25, a federal judge refused to allow Ognibene on Republican ballot.

The first television ads were launched in English and Spanish by the Bloomberg campaign on May 18.

Endorsements

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Ognibene was endorsed by the leaders of the Queens County Republican Committee on February 10.

Aftermath

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Ognibene challenged the Republican nomination in a hearing on Thursday, August 25, but his challenge was unsuccessful.

Democratic primary

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Candidates

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Declined

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Campaign

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On August 3, Fernando Ferrer began running campaign advertisements. On August 12, the Gifford Miller campaign launched their own television ads. The Democratic candidates held their first debate on August 16. The Anthony Weiner campaign launched television ads on August 19, the same day voter registration for the primary elections ended. The Democratic candidates held their second televised debate on August 21; the live debate was sponsored by WCBS and The New York Times.

Endorsements

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On September 1, Fernando Ferrer was endorsed by City Comptroller Bill Thompson and ACORN. On September 3, The New York Times endorsed Ferrer in the Democratic primary. The Democratic candidates held two final debates with the first on WNBC on September 7 and on WABC on September 8. On September 10, Reverend Al Sharpton endorsed Ferrer.

Prior to the primary, Ferrer was endorsed by New York state attorney general Eliot Spitzer, Carl McCall, Geraldine Ferraro, Sheldon Silver, the Transport Workers Union, Bronx borough president Adolfo Carrión Jr. and Ruth Messinger. Ferrer was also endorsed by Representatives Joseph Crowley, Gregory Meeks, Major Owens, José E. Serrano, Edolphus Towns and Nydia Velázquez.

Results

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Democratic primary election results[2]
Total votes: 478,818
Borough Fernando
Ferrer 		Anthony
Weiner 		C. Virginia
Fields 		Gifford
Miller 		Christopher X.
Brodeur 		Arthur
Piccolo 		Michael
Bloomberg
(write-in) 		Other
write-in
Manhattan
56,579
46,668
24,856
22,075
5,667
1,388
95
The Bronx
50,088
11,422
10,381
3,491
4,942
938
13
Brooklyn
50,068
41,358
25,612
14,324
3,724
1,963
9
Queens
32,506
34,028
13,918
7,956
2,054
1,175
1
Staten Island
3,021
5,441
1,059
1,669
174
120
3
Total
192,262
138,917
75,826
49,515
16,561
5,584
121
32

The Democratic primary was held on Tuesday, September 13, with initial returns showing Fernando Ferrer receiving 39.95% of the votes, just short of the 40% needed to avoid a run-off with second-place Anthony Weiner. Despite at first seeming poised to continue, the next morning Weiner conceded the election to Ferrer. However, the city election board insisted on proceeding with a $12 million election scheduled for Tuesday, September 27, with an additional debate even planned. This prompted a lawsuit supported by both candidates to prevent the election, the circumstance of which was avoided by a final count giving Ferrer just slightly over 40% of the vote.

Other nominations

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Conservative

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Despite his removal from the Republican primary, Tom Ognibene ran as the Conservative Party nominee.

Independence

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On May 28, the Independence Party endorsed Michael Bloomberg for re-election.

Liberal

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The Liberal Party of New York endorsed Bloomberg.

Green

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Manhattan College history professor Anthony Gronowicz was the Green Party's mayoral nominee. Gronowicz sought to strengthen affordable housing, supported renewable sources of energy and sought to provide free tuition to City University of New York. He was featured in an article in The Villager.[3]

Libertarian

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Audrey Silk, a former NYPD officer, community activist and founder of NYC Citizens Lobbying Against Smoker Harassment, was nominated by the party on April 16, 2005.[4]

General election

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Candidates

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Campaign

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Issues in the 2005 mayoral race included education, taxes, crime, transportation, public housing, homeland security funding, and the city budget. One prominent issue throughout 2005 was New York's bid for the 2012 Olympic Games, as New York City was one of the finalists to serve as host city. On June 6, the planned West Side Stadium was defeated by the Public Authorities Control Board when Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and State Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno refused to vote for it. As a result, the new Mets ballpark, later Citi Field, had been supported by Mayor Bloomberg as the centerpiece of the revised bid. On July 6, the IOC awarded London with the 2012 Summer Olympics.

On October 23, Ferrer proposed Home Owner Property Exemption, or HOPE, a tax break for homeowners with a home property value of less than $100,000.[5]

On October 6, a mayoral debate was held at the Apollo Theater from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. with Fernando Ferrer and Tom Ognibene; Mayor Michael Bloomberg was absent. The last day for voter registration for the general election was October 14, 2005. The first mayoral debate between Fernando Ferrer and Mike Bloomberg was held on October 30, and broadcast on WABC. Ferrer and Bloomberg debated each other again on November 1, at a debate sponsored by WNBC and the New York City Campaign Finance Board.

The general election was held on Tuesday, November 8. Members of the New York City Council, as well as the offices of borough president, city comptroller, public advocate, and district attorney, were also up for election. At 10:30 p.m. on November 8, Fernando Ferrer conceded the election to Michael Bloomberg in a speech at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel. Bloomberg was sworn in for a second term on January 1, 2006.

Endorsements

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Bloomberg was endorsed by former mayors Rudy Giuliani and Ed Koch, Jeanine Pirro, Herman Badillo, former congressman Reverend Floyd Flake, Reverend Calvin Butts, and many prominent local Democrats who chose to cross party lines.

On October 23, Bloomberg was endorsed by both Newsday and The New York Times for the general election. The Times wrote that Bloomberg could be "one of the greatest mayors in New York history"; however, The Times editorial board criticized "his 'obscene' unlimited spending on his political campaigns", creating an "uneven playing field".[6]

After winning the Democratic nomination, Ferrer was endorsed by Senators Chuck Schumer and Hillary Clinton on September 16. On September 19, Ferrer received the endorsement of SEIU Local 1199. He was endorsed by former mayor David Dinkins on September 23. Ferrer was endorsed by the Working Families Party on September 27, but did not appear on the Working Families Party line on Election Day. Andrew Cuomo endorsed Ferrer on September 29. On October 20, Ferrer campaigned with Bill Clinton on Charlotte Street in the South Bronx.

Polling

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Source Date Sample size Margin of error Ferrer (D) Bloomberg (R)
Quinnipiac University[7] November 10, 2004 45% 40%
Quinnipiac University[8] January 19, 2005 43% 43%
Quinnipiac University[9] March 2, 2005 47% 39%
Marist College[10] March 23, 2005 49% 42%
Quinnipiac University[11] March 30, 2005 46% 40%
Marist College[12] April 27, 2005 38% 51%
Marist College[12] April 27, 2005 38% 51%
Quinnipiac University[13] May 11, 2005 38% 47%
Marist College[14] June 10, 2005 46% 45%
Quinnipiac University[15] June 22, 2005 37% 50%
Quinnipiac University[16] July 19, 2005 36% 52%
Marist College[17] July 22, 2005 36% 52%
Marist College[18] August 9, 2005 36% 52%
The New York Times[19] August 22–28, 2005 718 RV ± 5.0% 32% 54%
Quinnipiac University[20] September 20, 2005 38% 52%
Marist College[21] September 27, 2005 38% 53%
Marist College[22] October 12, 2005 32% 59%
Quinnipiac University[23] October 12, 2005 32% 60%
Quinnipiac University[24] October 25, 2005 30% 61%
Pace University[25] October 27, 2005 27% 58%
The New York Times[26] October 21–26, 2005 758 RV ± 4.0% 30% 57%
Marist College[27] November 1, 2005 31% 62%
Quinnipiac University[28] November 1, 2005 31% 59%
Marist College[29] November 4, 2005 30% 64%
Quinnipiac University[30] November 7, 2005 30% 68%

Results

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Results of the 2005 New York City mayoral election[31]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican/Liberal Michael Bloomberg 678,444 52.6
Independence Michael Bloomberg 74,645 5.8
Total Michael Bloomberg (incumbent) 753,089 58.4 +8.1
Democratic Fernando Ferrer 503,219 39.0 −8.9
Conservative Thomas Ognibene 14,630 1.1 +0.9
Green Anthony Gronowicz 8,297 0.6 +0.1
Rent Is Too Damn High Jimmy McMillan 4,111 0.3 +0.3
Libertarian Audrey Silk 2,888 0.2 +0.1
Socialist Workers Martin Koppel 2,256 0.2 +0.2
Education Seth Blum 1,176 0.1 +0.1
Write-Ins 269 0.02 +0.02
Majority 249,870 19.4 +17.0
Turnout 1,289,935
Republican hold Swing +8.5

Results by borough

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Results by borough of the 2005 New York City mayoral election[31]
Manhattan The Bronx Brooklyn Queens Staten Island Total
Bloomberg–Green margin (2001)   −22,777 −21,683 −28,182 +46,904 +61,227 +35,489
Bloomberg–Ferrer margin   +76,197 −41,317 +69,441 +95,030 +50,523 +249,871
               
Republican–Liberal Michael Bloomberg 171,593 69,577 189,040 184,426 63,267 678,444
Independence Michael Bloomberg 25,416 6,840 20,141 17,689 4,559 74,645
Combined total Michael Bloomberg 197,010 76,417 209,723 202,116 67,827 753,090
    60.4% 38.8% 58.2% 63.5% 76.7% 58.4%
Democratic Fernando Ferrer 120,813 117,734 140,282 107,086 17,304 503,219
    37.0% 59.8% 39.0% 33.6% 19.6% 39.0%
Conservative Thomas Ognibene 1,729 1,185 3,573 5,645 2,498 14,630
Green Anthony Gronowicz 3,195 466 3,112 1,285 239 8,297
Rent Is Too Damn High Jimmy McMillan 1,369 474 1,293 799 176 4,111
Libertarian Audrey Silk 991 234 841 617 205 2,888
Socialist Workers Martin Koppel 758 231 766 384 117 2,256
Education Seth Blum 322 131 382 264 77 1,176
write-ins   109 1 90 57 12 269
T O T A L 326,295 196,873 360,061 318,252 88,454  
1,289,935


Notes

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  1. ^ Ferrer was endorsed by the Working Families Party, but this endorsement did not appear on the ballot.

References

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  1. ^ "Ognibene Is Seen As the Favorite Of Conservatives". The New York Sun.
  2. ^ "Results of 2005 Democratic Primary Election for Mayor of New York City" (PDF). Retrieved February 19, 2022.
  3. ^ "It's not easy being Green: Gronowicz runs for mayor". December 26, 2005. Archived from the original on December 26, 2005.
  4. ^ "LIBERTARIANS NOMINATE AUDREY SILK AS MAYORAL CANDIDATE". April 30, 2005. Archived from the original on April 30, 2005.
  5. ^ McIntire, Mike; Rutenberg, Jim (October 24, 2005). "Ferrer Offers a Tax Break for Less Expensive Homes". The New York Times – via NYTimes.com.
  6. ^ Healy, Patrick D. (October 23, 2005). "Times Endorses Mayor Bloomberg for Re-election". The New York Times – via NYTimes.com.
  7. ^ Quinnipiac University
  8. ^ Quinnipiac University
  9. ^ Quinnipiac University
  10. ^ "Marist College". Archived from the original on October 23, 2005. Retrieved September 16, 2005.
  11. ^ Quinnipiac University
  12. ^ a b "Marist College". Archived from the original on April 27, 2005. Retrieved April 27, 2005.
  13. ^ Quinnipiac University
  14. ^ "Marist College". Archived from the original on June 22, 2005. Retrieved June 11, 2005.
  15. ^ Quinnipiac University
  16. ^ Quinnipiac University
  17. ^ "Marist College". Archived from the original on October 23, 2005. Retrieved July 29, 2005.
  18. ^ "Marist College" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on October 21, 2005. Retrieved August 15, 2005.
  19. ^ The New York Times
  20. ^ Quinnipiac University
  21. ^ "Marist College". Archived from the original on October 23, 2005. Retrieved September 29, 2005.
  22. ^ "Marist College". Archived from the original on October 24, 2005. Retrieved October 12, 2005.
  23. ^ Quinnipiac University
  24. ^ Quinnipiac University
  25. ^ "Pace University" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on April 28, 2006. Retrieved November 2, 2005.
  26. ^ The New York Times
  27. ^ "Marist College". Archived from the original on November 24, 2005. Retrieved November 1, 2005.
  28. ^ Quinnipiac University
  29. ^ "Marist College". Archived from the original on February 14, 2006. Retrieved November 6, 2005.
  30. ^ Quinnipiac University
  31. ^ a b "Results of 2005 General Election for Mayor of New York City" (PDF). Retrieved February 19, 2022.
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See also

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