1989 New York City mayoral election

1989 New York City mayoral election

← 1985 November 7, 1989 1993 →

Candidate David Dinkins Rudy Giuliani Party Democratic Republican Alliance Liberal Popular vote 917,544 870,464 Percentage 50.42% 47.84%

Borough results Dinkins:      50–60%      60–70% Giuliani:      50–60%      70–80%

Mayor before election Ed Koch Democratic Elected Mayor David Dinkins Democratic

The 1989 New York City mayoral election was held on Tuesday, November 7.

Incumbent Mayor Ed Koch, who had served since 1978, ran for an unprecedented fourth term in office but was defeated in the Democratic Party primary by Manhattan Borough President David Dinkins. Dinkins went on to narrowly defeat U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Rudy Giuliani, the candidate of both the Republican Party and Liberal 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 in the Bronx, Manhattan, and Brooklyn, while Giuliani carried Queens and won a landslide on Staten Island. Four years later, in the 1993 election, Dinkins and Giuliani would face each other again in a re-match and Dinkins would narrowly lose to Giuliani in his bid for re-election.

Democrats would not win a mayoral election in New York City again until 2013.