# 1985 New York City mayoral election

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vte :
The New York City mayoral election of 1985 occurred on Tuesday, November 5, 1985, with Democratic incumbent Mayor Ed Koch being re-elected to a third term by a landslide margin.
Koch received an overwhelming 78.02% of the vote citywide. Koch also swept all five boroughs by landslide margins, breaking 70% of the vote in Manhattan and Queens and breaking 80% of the vote in Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Staten Island.
Koch's closest competitor was the Liberal Party nominee, New York City Council President Carol Bellamy, who received 10.20% of the vote. Finishing in a distant third was the Republican nominee, Diane McGrath, who received 9.14% of the vote.
Koch defeated his nearest competitor by a landslide 67.82% Democratic margin of victory and was sworn into his third and final term in January 1986.
Al Vann and Herman Badillo tried to unite the Black and Puerto Rican communities but were thwarted by the Harlem Gang of Four. In a move that shocked Vann, the so-called “Gang of Four” from Harlem—Charles Rangel, David Dinkins, Basil Paterson and Percy Sutton—broke ranks and put forth their own candidate for mayor, Harlem Assemblyman Herman “Denny” Farrell, a dark horse if ever there was one. They argued that a black group like the Coalition for a Just New York should support a black candidate, not a Puerto Rican. Badillo bitterly withdrew from consideration. Farrell lost badly in the primary."
As of 2022, this is the last time a Democrat won Staten Island in a mayoral election.

## Democratic primary
### Candidates

* Carol Bellamy, President of the New York City Council since 1978 (also running for Liberal Party)
* Gilbert DiLucia (also running for Coalition Party)
* Denny Farrell, State Assemblyman from Harlem
* Ed Koch, incumbent Mayor since 1978
* Fred Newman, psychotherapist and political activist
* Judah Rubenstein

#### Withdrew

* Herman Badillo, former U.S. Representative from the Bronx (1971–77)

### Results

1985 Democratic mayoral primary :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Ed Koch (incumbent) | 436,151 | 64.0% |
| | Democratic | Carol Bellamy | 127,690 | 18.7% |
| | Democratic | Denny Farrell | 89,845 | 13.2% |
| | Democratic | Gilbert DiLucia | 11,627 | 1.7% |
| | Democratic | Fred Newman | 8,584 | 1.2% |
| | Democratic | Judah Rubenstein | 8,057 | 1.2% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 681,954 | 100.00% |

## General election
### Candidates

* Carol Bellamy, President of the New York City Council since 1978 (Liberal)
* Lenora Fulani, psychologist and black nationalist (New Alliance)
* Andrea Gonzalez (Socialist Works)
* Yehuda Levin (Right to Life)
* Gilbert DiLucia (Coalition)
* Ed Koch, incumbent Mayor since 1978 (Democratic)
* Diane McGrath (Republican and Conservative)
* Marjorie Stanberg (Spartacist)
* Jarvis Tyner, activist and executive vice chair of the Communist Party USA (People Before Profits)

### Results

1985 New York City mayoral election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Ed Koch (incumbent) | 862,226 | |
| | Independent | Ed Koch (incumbent) | 6,034 | |
| | Total | Ed Koch (incumbent) | 868,260 | 78.0% |
| | Liberal | Carol Bellamy | 113,471 | 10.2% |
| | Republican | Diane McGrath | 79,508 | |
| | Conservative | Diane McGrath | 22,160 | |
| | Total | Diane McGrath | 101,668 | 9.1% |
| | Right to Life | Yehuda Levin | 14,517 | |
| | New Alliance | Lenora Fulani | 7,597 | |
| | Independent | Jarvis Tyner | 3,370 | |
| | Socialist Workers | Andrea Gonzalez | 1,677 | |
| | Independent | Gilbert DiLucia | 1,135 | |
| | Independent | Marjorie Stanberg | 1,101 | |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 9 | |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 1,112,796 | 100.00% |

#### by borough

General Election :
| | | Manhattan | The Bronx | Brooklyn | Queens | Staten Island | Total |
| Democratic - Independent | Edward I. Koch | 171,582 | 137,472 | 248,585 | 248,041 | 62,580 | 868,260 |
| Liberal | Carol Bellamy | 41,190 | 14,092 | 29,256 | 25,098 | 3,835 | 113,471 |
| Republican - Conservative | Diane McGrath | 17,491 | 12,358 | 25,738 | 36,032 | 10,049 | 101,668 |
| | others | | | | | | 29,397 |
| | | | | | | | 1,112,796 |