New York’s mayors are an eclectic bunch: from uniters to heroes-turned-villains and those accused of corruption.<\/p>\n
Here is what to know about five of the most high-profile mayors of The Big Apple as the city prepares to pick its 111th leader on November 4:<\/p>\n
– Fiorello La Guardia (1934-1945) –<\/p>\n
La Guardia lends his name to New York’s first major airport, inaugurated in 1939, a recognition of his role as the builder of modern New York.<\/p>\n
He remains the preferred mayor of present-day candidates Zohran Mamdani and Andrew Cuomo.<\/p>\n
Born in New York to Italian parents and raised between the United States and Italy, La Guardia was one of many city leaders of immigrant descent.<\/p>\n
A progressive Republican, he was elected by opposing Tammany Hall, the Democratic hub that had controlled the city for a century.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nicknamed “the Little Flower,” he led the city during the Great Depression, collaborating with president Franklin Roosevelt.<\/p>\n
Under La Guardia’s administration, New York developed public housing, a modernized subway system, new parks and two airports, and reformed its welfare system.<\/p>\n
– The Orator: Ed Koch (1978-1989) –<\/p>\n
Koch famously described himself as “the sort of person who will never get ulcers. Why? Because I say exactly what I think.”<\/p>\n
Born in New York in 1924 to Polish Jewish parents, he studied law before entering politics.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The city faced high crime and a financial crisis when he took office.<\/p>\n
The Democrat, who described himself as “liberal with sanity,” imposed austerity while renovating thousands of abandoned homes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He famously pounded the sidewalks, asking passersby “How’m I doin’?”\u00a0<\/p>\n
His tenure ended marred by corruption scandals involving close associates, the closure of a hospital serving Black residents, and criticism of his AIDS policy.<\/p>\n
– Diversity champion: David Dinkins (1990-1993) –<\/p>\n
New York’s first African American mayor championed diversity, calling it a “gorgeous mosaic.”\u00a0<\/p>\n
Born in neighboring New Jersey, Dinkins served in the military before studying mathematics and law.<\/p>\n
His marriage to the daughter of a New York State Assembly member propelled him into politics.<\/p>\n
He was unable to secure re-election after battling rising crime and racial tensions.<\/p>\n
This culminated in 1991’s Brooklyn riots after a rabbi’s motorcade hit two Black children, killing one.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Dinkins strengthened police and supported community mediation and racial integration, laying the groundwork for a sustained drop in crime and more inclusive policies.\u00a0<\/p>\n
– ‘America’s mayor’: Rudy Giuliani (1994-2001) –<\/p>\n
The first Republican mayor in 20 years in true-blue New York, Giuliani cut spending and cracked down on crime.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He pushed controversial “broken windows theory,” insisting on zero tolerance for low-level lawbreaking.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Critics accused him of ignoring police brutality, noting crime was declining nationwide anyway.<\/p>\n
Giuliani’s management of the September 11, 2001 attacks aftermath earned him the nickname “America’s Mayor” — and Time magazine’s Person of the Year.<\/p>\n
After an unsuccessful 2008 Republican presidential run, he joined Donald Trump’s campaign to overturn Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential victory.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ex-attorney Giuliani has since been repeatedly sued for defamation and disbarred in New York.<\/p>\n
–\u00a0The Progressive: Bill de Blasio (2014-2021) –<\/p>\n
This Democratic outsider courted voters emphasizing the city’s economic divisions after 12 years under independent Michael Bloomberg’s leadership.<\/p>\n
His progressive wins included universal pre-kindergarten and a reduction in police stop-and-frisk actions.<\/p>\n
But de Blasio’s policies aimed at promoting affordable housing failed to curb rising rents, and homelessness.<\/p>\n
His attempt to introduce a “millionaire’s tax” to fund his social programs was blocked by state legislators.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He struggled to engage police unions following the Black Lives Matter protests in 2014 and 2020, and is remembered for a stuttering response to the Covid-19 pandemic. He abandoned his presidential ambitions in 2020 amid a lack of support.<\/p>\n
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