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An election was held on November 3, 1981 to elect the President of theNew York City Council. Democratic incumbentCarol Bellamy was re-elected to a second term in office over RepublicanAssemblymanGuy J. Velella.
Bellamy was unopposed in the September primary, and her name did not appear on the ballot.[1] Manhattan Borough PresidentAndrew Stein and his primary opponentDavid Dinkins both sought to tie themselves to the popular Bellamy.[2]
Bellamy, who won the presidency in an upset in the 1977 election, was broadly popular in 1981. Before even announcing her re-election bid, she stated, "I make no bones about wanting to run for Governor someday," and was critical of GovernorHugh Carey.[1]The New York Times framed her campaign as a springboard to future statewide office. Villela conceded that his campaign was "a long shot", but claimed that Bellamy should be doing more to utilize theombudsman responsibilities of the presidency.[2]
Margaret T. Chiffriller, running on the Right to Life ticket, ran a single-issue advocacy campaign focused on opposition to abortion.[2]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Carol Bellamy (incumbent) | 848,739 | 79.59% | |
| Republican | Guy Velella | 190,475 | 17.86% | |
| Right to Life | Margaret T. Chiffriller | 27,125 | 2.54% | |
| Total votes | 1,066,339 | 100.00% | ||
