2001 New York City mayoral election
The mayoral election in New York City took place on November 6, 2001.
With incumbent Republican mayor Rudy Giuliani barred by term limits from running again, the race opened up. Although Democrats outnumbered Republicans by a ratio of five to one within the city, businessman Michael Bloomberg, who had been a lifelong Democrat, changed his affiliation to the Republican Party to enter the contest. In the Democratic primary, Mark Green narrowly defeated Fernando Ferrer, in a divisive battle that fragmented the party and exhausted much of Green's campaign resources.
The election campaign was heavily influenced and overshadowed by the events of the September 11 attacks. Ultimately, Bloomberg secured victory in the general election with 50.3% of votes compared to Green’s 47.9%. Notably, Democrats regained control of Manhattan and Brooklyn from the previous election cycle.
Background
Originally set for September 11, the primary elections were postponed until September 25 following the September 11 attacks, with a subsequent runoff scheduled for October 11. Ballots cast on September 11 were subsequently discarded and not tallied.
Candidates
- Michael Bloomberg, billionaire entrepreneur
- Herman Badillo, former Democratic U.S. Representative representing The Bronx from 1971 to 1977
Candidates
- Fernando Ferrer, serving as Borough President of The Bronx
- Mark Green, holding office as New York City Public Advocate
- Alan Hevesi, incumbent New York City Comptroller
- George Spitz
- Peter Vallone, Sr., Speaker of the New York City Council and Councilman
Declined
- Al Sharpton, Baptist minister and activist
Campaign
Toward the end of the primary campaign, Green was criticized after his supporters circulated racially sensitive materials featuring New York Post caricatures of Ferrer and Al Sharpton in predominantly white neighborhoods across Brooklyn and Staten Island. Green denied any involvement; an investigation by the Brooklyn District Attorney cleared him of misconduct. However, this controversy likely suppressed minority voter turnout in the general election, indirectly aiding Bloomberg in a city that traditionally favored Democrats. (Village Voice columnist Peter Noel observed that despite earlier popularity, Green had become widely unpopular within African American communities.)
During the runoff phase, Green stirred controversy by backing Giuliani’s proposal to extend his mayoral term on grounds of post-9/11 emergency conditions—a stance opposed by Ferrer who leveraged it to depict Green as yielding to Giuliani’s agenda.
Debate
| No. | Date | Host | Moderator | Link | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Key: Template:Colors Participant Template:Colors Absent Template:Colors Not invited Template:Colors Invited W Withdrawn |
|||||||||
| Fernando Ferrer | Mark Green | Alan Hevesi | George Spitz | Peter Vallone, Sr. | |||||
| 1 | Aug. 28, 2001 | New York City Campaign Finance Board Newsday, WNYC, WPIX |
Kaity Tong | YouTube | P | P | P | P | P |
Results
Among Manhattan Democrats, Green took the lead, while Ferrer dominated in The Bronx, and Vallone was ahead in Staten Island. In Brooklyn, Ferrer and Green were nearly tied, and all three candidates remained competitive within Queens.
Candidates
- Michael Bloomberg (Republican)
- Bernie Goetz (Fusion)
- Kenneth B. Golding (American Dream)
- Mark Green (Democratic, Working Families)
- Terrance M. Gray (Conservative)
- Alan Hevesi (Liberal)
- Thomas K. Leighton (Marijuana Reform)
- Kenny Kramer (Libertarian)
- Julia Willebrand (Green)
Campaign
Following the 9/11 attacks, Rudy Giuliani’s popularity surged, leading him to endorse Bloomberg and significantly strengthen his campaign.
Bloomberg allocated $74 million toward television advertisements and direct mail after the attacks—a sum unprecedented for a non-presidential contest at that time—contrasting sharply with his Democratic opponent’s limited funds, who had hoped for but did not receive substantial free media exposure. According to The Economist, Bloomberg’s victory likely averted a politically unstable period concerning Giuliani’s legacy.
Green aimed to garner backing from Hasidic Jewish authorities, asserting endorsements from New York City’s Satmar communities. Nevertheless, many individuals shown were affiliated with an upstate Satmar group without voting rights in the city and not connected to the principal Williamsburg Satmar leadership.
The election featured prominent third-party contenders: Bernhard Goetz, known as the "subway vigilante," ran under the Fusion Party banner; meanwhile, Kenny Kramer, the real-life inspiration for Seinfelds Cosmo Kramer character, stood as the Libertarian candidate.
Debate
| No. | Date | Host | Moderator | Link | Democratic | Democratic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Key: Template:Colors Participant Template:Colors Absent Template:Colors Not invited Template:Colors Invited W Withdrawn |
||||||
| Michael Bloomberg | Mark Green | |||||
| 1 | Nov. 1, 2001 | League of Women Voters of New York City New York City Campaign Finance Board WABC-TV WNYC-FM |
Diana Williams | C-SPAN | P | P |
Results
Bloomberg secured a narrow victory with 744,757 votes cast in his favor. Although he was defeated in three boroughs, his strong performance in Staten Island and Queens ensured his overall win. Due to New York’s electoral fusion system, candidates were permitted to run on multiple party lines.