1989 New York City mayoral election

← 1985 November 7, 1989 1993 →
Registered	3,183,741
Turnout	1,899,845 59.67% (18.48pp)
Candidate David Dinkins Rudy Giuliani Party Democratic Republican Alliance Liberal Popular vote 917,544 870,464 Percentage 50.42% 47.84%
Borough results State Assembly district results Dinkins:     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%     >90% Giuliani:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%
Mayor before election Ed Koch Democratic ElectedMayor David Dinkins Democratic

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v t e

The1989 New York City mayoral election was held on Tuesday, November 7.

Incumbent MayorEd Koch, who had served since 1978, ran for an unprecedented fourth term in office but was defeated in theDemocratic Party primary byManhattanBorough PresidentDavid Dinkins. Dinkins went on to narrowly defeat U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New YorkRudy Giuliani, the candidate of both theRepublican Party andLiberal Party of New York.^[1] Dinkins won with 50.42% of the vote to Giuliani's 47.84%.^[2]

Whereas the two preceding mayoral elections of the 1980s had been landslide victories for Koch, who had not lost a single borough and had received the co-endorsement of the Republican Party in 1981, this election was a closely contested race. Dinkins won majorities inthe Bronx,Manhattan, andBrooklyn, while Giuliani carriedQueens and won a landslide onStaten Island. At the time, this was the strongest showing for a candidate on the Republican line since1965 (not counting Koch's 1981 cross-endorsement), and the first since then that a candidate on the Republican line managed 30 percent of the vote.

Four years later, in the1993 election, Dinkins and Giuliani would face each other again in a re-match and Dinkins would lose to Giuliani in his bid for re-election. Democrats would not win a mayoral election in New York City again until2013. This was the first of two elections in a row where the incumbent lost re-election.

• David Dinkins, Manhattan Borough President
• Harrison J. Goldin, New York City Comptroller
• Ed Koch, incumbent Mayor since 1978
• Richard Ravitch, former chairman of theMetropolitan Transportation Authority

• Andrew Stein, President of the New York City Council

Results by borough

Results by State Assembly district

Dinkins:     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%     >90%
Koch:     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%

• Rudy Giuliani, U.S. Attorney for theSouthern District of New York
• Ronald Lauder, son ofEstée Lauder and formerU.S. Ambassador to Austria

• Warren L. Baum (Libertarian)
• David Dinkins, Manhattan Borough President (Democratic)
• Lenora Fulani, psychologist, activist and candidate for President of the United States in 1988 (New Alliance)
• Rudy Giuliani, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York (Republican and Liberal)
• James E. Harris (Socialist Workers)
• Henry F. Hewes, consultant (Right to Life)
• Ronald S. Lauder, son ofEstée Lauder and formerU.S. Ambassador to Austria (Conservative)

General election results^[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	David Dinkins	917,544	50.42%	27.6
	Republican	Rudy Giuliani	815,387	44.80%	35.7
	Liberal	Rudy Giuliani	55,077	3.02%	7.1
	Total	Rudy Giuliani	870,464	47.84%	N/A
	Right to Life	Henry F. Hewes	17,460	0.96%	0.3
	Conservative	Ronald S. Lauder	9,271	0.51%	2.5
	New Alliance	Lenora Fulani	1,732	0.10%	0.5
	Socialist Workers	James E. Harris	1,671	0.09%	0.06
	Libertarian	Warren L. Baum	1,118	0.06%	N/A
Total votes			1,819,260	100.0%
	Democratichold

• 1989 in New York City
• Mayoral elections in New York City
• 1989 New York (state) elections
• 1989 United States mayoral elections
• Rudy Giuliani

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