1957 New York City mayoral election: Difference between revisions

1957 New York City mayoral election
	Results by Borough Wagner—70–80% Wagner—60–70%
Mayor before election; Robert F. Wagner, Jr.; Democratic	Elected Mayor ; Robert F. Wagner, Jr.; Democratic

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Revision as of 22:27, 19 August 2021

The New York City mayoral election of 1957 occurred on Tuesday, November 5, 1957. Incumbent Democratic Mayor Robert F. Wagner, Jr. going on to won re-election for a second term in office. Wagner defeated the Republican nominee, businessman Robert K. Christenberry.

Campaign

Wagner was supported by the powerful Tammany Hall political machine, easily secured a decisive re-election victory. He was also the nominee of the Liberal Party, and additionally ran on the City Fusion ballot line.

On June 27, the Republican party nominated Robert K. Christenberry at the Ambassador Hotel, of which Christenberry was the president. Though Christenberry had never held elected office, he had previously he was a friend of former governor Thomas Dewey and had been appointed by Dewey to the state Athletic Commission. Christenberry had also served as Vice Consul in Vladivostok and the Dominican Republic as well as the American representative at the inauguration of Paraguayan President Alfredo Stroessner.^[1] At the start of his campaign, Christenberry attacked Mayor Wagner, saying he had "a record of indecision" and a "failure to face up to problems". Christenberry centered his campaign around a plan to hire 5,000 new police officers to reduce crime, the reduction of graft and corruption in city government, and halting New York City's population loss.^[2]^[3] Throughout the campaign, Christenberry attacked Wagner on the issue of crime and claimed that the administration had "miserably failed" on that issue.^[4]

The Republican Party split when Vito P. Battista, a sometime Republican, announced a bid for mayor under the banner of the self-created United Taxpayers Party. Battista, an architect and founder of the Institute of Design and Construction ran in opposition to Mayor Wagner's policies on taxation and social services.^[5] On WNYC's Campus Press Conference, Battista stated that his party stood for "Lower taxes or the intelligent distribution of the tax dollar in running local city government; the elimination of waste, the elimination of inefficiency, and the proper planning of our community." Battista also railed against communist influence in the city government, and alleged that there were communists living in New York City public housing.^[6]

Eric Hass was selected by the Socialist Labor Party in April 1957. Hass had previously been the party's nominee for president in 1952 and 1956.^[7] Because of a New York law prohibiting parties from using names held by other parties, the SLP had appeared as the Industrial Government Party on the ballot for many years.^[8] Joyce Cowley of Manhattan was chosen as the candidate of the Socialist Workers Party.^[9]

From the start of the campaign, Wagner was favored for reelection. Though Christenberry was praised by Democrats like Eleanor Roosevelt for his energy and knowledge of the issues, even traditionally Republican newspapers were not optimistic about his chances.^[10] Despite this, President Eisenhower and Vice President Nixon appeared with and endorsed Christenberry.^[11]^[12] Former Governor Dewey endorsed Christenberry just four days before the election in a letter.^[13]

In an ironic incident during the campaign, Christenberry, who referred to Wagner as weak on crime, had his hotel was raided by New York City police and an illegal casino in the basement was broken up.^[14]

Results

Wagner received 69.23% of the vote to Christenberry's 26.86%, a landslide Democratic victory margin of 42.37%. Wagner swept all five boroughs, breaking 60% of the vote in Queens and Staten Island, and breaking 70% of the vote in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the Bronx.

New York City Mayoral Election, 1957^[15]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Robert F. Wagner, Jr.	1,284,856
	Liberal	Robert F. Wagner, Jr.	217,941
	City Fusion	Robert F. Wagner, Jr.	6,978
	Total	Robert F. Wagner, Jr. (incumbent)	1,509,775	69.23
	Republican	Robert K. Christenberry	274,423	23.95
	United Taxpayers	Vito P. Battista	67,266	3.08
	Socialist Workers	Joyce Cowley	13,453	0.62
	Socialist Labor	Eric Hass	4,611	0.21
Total votes			2,180,873	100
	Democratic hold

Results by borough

1957	party	Manhattan	The Bronx	Brooklyn	Queens	Richmond [Staten Is.]	Total	%
Robert F. Wagner, Jr.	Democratic - Liberal - Fusion	316,203	316,299	494,078	341,212	40,983	1,508,775	69.2%
Robert F. Wagner, Jr.	Democratic - Liberal - Fusion	73.8%	76.6%	75.1%	64.1%	64.7%	1,508,775	69.2%
Robert Christenberry	Republican	112,173	96,726	163,427	191,061	22,381	585,768	26.9%
Robert Christenberry	Republican	26.2%	23.4%	24.9%	35.9%	35.3%	585,768	26.9%
subtotal		428,376	413,025	657,505	532,273	63,364	2,094,543	96.1%
others							85,355	3.9%
T O T A L							2,179,878

References

^ Amper, Richard (28 June 1957). "Christenberry Named By G.O.P. In Mayoral Race". New York Times. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
^ "Christenberry's Views". New York Times. 28 June 1956. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
^ "Text of the Republican Party's City Campaign Principles and Platform". New York Times. 6 August 1957. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
^ Egan, Leo (6 August 1957). "CITY CRIME SCORED BY G.O.P. NOMINEE". New York Times. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
^ Flanagan, Richard M. Robert Wagner and the Rise of New York City's Plebiscitary Mayoralty: The Tamer of the Tammany Tiger. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 39. ISBN 978-1-137-40087-1. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
^ "The NYPR Archive Collections - Vito P. Battista". WNYC. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
^ "Mayoralty Candidate Named". New York Times. 14 April 1957. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
^ "SOCIALIST LABORITES GET OWN NAME BACK". New York Times. 3 November 1957. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
^ "SOCIALIST SLATE FILED". New York Times. 19 September 1957. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
^ Roosevelt, Eleanor. "My Day by Eleanor Roosevelt, July 6, 1957". George Washington University. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
^ Egan, Leo (23 October 1957). "President, Here, Endorses Christenberry for Mayor". New York Times. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
^ Illson, Murray (11 September 1957). "CITY SAFETY ISSUE BACKED BY NIXON". New York Times. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
^ Kaplan, Morris (2 November 1957). "DEWEY ENDORSES G.O.P. CITY TICKET Ex-Governor Comes Out for Ch". New York Times. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
^ On His Own Terms: A Life of Nelson Rockefeller. Random House. 2014. ISBN 9780812996876. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
^ "New York City Mayoral Election 1957". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 29 April 2014.

[GOPchoice-1] Amper, Richard (28 June 1957). "Christenberry Named By G.O.P. In Mayoral Race". New York Times. Retrieved 19 August 2021.

[christenberrysviews-2] "Christenberry's Views". New York Times. 28 June 1956. Retrieved 19 August 2021.

[Republicanplatform-3] "Text of the Republican Party's City Campaign Principles and Platform". New York Times. 6 August 1957. Retrieved 19 August 2021.

[crime_scored-4] Egan, Leo (6 August 1957). "CITY CRIME SCORED BY G.O.P. NOMINEE". New York Times. Retrieved 19 August 2021.

[5] Flanagan, Richard M. Robert Wagner and the Rise of New York City's Plebiscitary Mayoralty: The Tamer of the Tammany Tiger. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 39. ISBN 978-1-137-40087-1. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)

[archive_vito-6] "The NYPR Archive Collections - Vito P. Battista". WNYC. Retrieved 19 August 2021.

[7] "Mayoralty Candidate Named". New York Times. 14 April 1957. Retrieved 19 August 2021.

[8] "SOCIALIST LABORITES GET OWN NAME BACK". New York Times. 3 November 1957. Retrieved 19 August 2021.

[9] "SOCIALIST SLATE FILED". New York Times. 19 September 1957. Retrieved 19 August 2021.

[10] Roosevelt, Eleanor. "My Day by Eleanor Roosevelt, July 6, 1957". George Washington University. Retrieved 19 August 2021.

[11] Egan, Leo (23 October 1957). "President, Here, Endorses Christenberry for Mayor". New York Times. Retrieved 19 August 2021.

[12] Illson, Murray (11 September 1957). "CITY SAFETY ISSUE BACKED BY NIXON". New York Times. Retrieved 19 August 2021.

[13] Kaplan, Morris (2 November 1957). "DEWEY ENDORSES G.O.P. CITY TICKET Ex-Governor Comes Out for Ch". New York Times. Retrieved 19 August 2021.

[rockefeller-14] On His Own Terms: A Life of Nelson Rockefeller. Random House. 2014. ISBN 9780812996876. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)

[results-15] "New York City Mayoral Election 1957". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 29 April 2014.

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@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
 | candidate2         = Robert K. Christenberry
 | party2             = Republican Party (United States)
-| alliance2          = Alliance None
+| alliance2          =
 | popular_vote2      = 585,768
 | percentage2        = 26.9%
@@ Line 33: / Line 33: @@
 }}
 {{Elections in New York State}}
-The '''[[New York City]] mayoral election of 1957''' occurred on Tuesday, November 5, 1957, with incumbent [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] [[Mayor of New York City|Mayor]] [[Robert F. Wagner, Jr.]] going on to decisively win a re-election victory for a second term in office.
+The '''[[New York City]] mayoral election of 1957''' occurred on Tuesday, November 5, 1957. Incumbent [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] [[Mayor of New York City|Mayor]] [[Robert F. Wagner, Jr.]] going on to won re-election for a second term in office. Wagner defeated the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] nominee, businessman Robert K. Christenberry.
+==Campaign==
-Wagner easily defeated the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] nominee, [[Hotel Astor (New York City)|Hotel Astor]] manager Robert K. Christenberry.
-The popular incumbent, supported by the powerful [[Tammany Hall]] [[political machine]], easily secured a decisive re-election victory.
+Wagner was supported by the powerful [[Tammany Hall]] [[political machine]], easily secured a decisive re-election victory. He was also the nominee of the [[Liberal Party of New York|Liberal Party]], and additionally ran on the City Fusion ballot line.
+On June 27, the Republican party nominated Robert K. Christenberry at the [[345 Park Avenue|Ambassador Hotel]], of which Christenberry was the president. Though Christenberry had never held elected office, he had previously he was a friend of former governor [[Thomas E. Dewey|Thomas Dewey]] and had been appointed by Dewey to the state Athletic Commission. Christenberry had also served as Vice Consul in Vladivostok and the Dominican Republic as well as the American representative at the inauguration of Paraguayan President [[Alfredo Stroessner]].<ref name="GOPchoice">{{cite news |last1=Amper |first1=Richard |title=Christenberry Named By G.O.P. In Mayoral Race |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1957/06/28/issue.html |access-date=19 August 2021 |work=New York Times |date=28 June 1957}}</ref> At the start of his campaign, Christenberry attacked Mayor Wagner, saying he had "a record of indecision" and a "failure to face up to problems". Christenberry centered his campaign around a plan to hire 5,000 new police officers to reduce crime, the reduction of graft and corruption in city government, and halting New York City's population loss.<ref name="christenberrysviews">{{cite news |title=Christenberry's Views |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1957/06/28/issue.html |access-date=19 August 2021 |work=New York Times |date=28 June 1956}}</ref><ref name="Republicanplatform">{{cite news |title=Text of the Republican Party's City Campaign Principles and Platform |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1957/08/06/87310589.html?pageNumber=16 |access-date=19 August 2021 |work=New York Times |date=6 August 1957}}</ref> Throughout the campaign, Christenberry attacked Wagner on the issue of crime and claimed that the administration had "miserably failed" on that issue.<ref name="crime_scored">{{cite news |last1=Egan |first1=Leo |title=CITY CRIME SCORED BY G.O.P. NOMINEE |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1957/08/06/87310441.html?pageNumber=1 |access-date=19 August 2021 |work=New York Times |date=6 August 1957}}</ref>
-Wagner received 69.23% of the vote to Christenberry's 26.86%, a landslide Democratic victory margin of 42.37%.<ref>{{cite web|title=New York City Mayoral Election 1957|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=79432|publisher=Our Campaigns|access-date=29 April 2014}}</ref>
+The Republican Party split when [[Vito P. Battista]], a sometime Republican, announced a bid for mayor under the banner of the self-created United Taxpayers Party. Battista, an architect and founder of the [[Institute of Design and Construction]] ran in opposition to Mayor Wagner's policies on taxation and social services.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Flanagan |first1=Richard M. |title=Robert Wagner and the Rise of New York City's Plebiscitary Mayoralty: The Tamer of the Tammany Tiger |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |isbn=978-1-137-40087-1 |page=39 |access-date=19 August 2021}}</ref> On [[WNYC|WNYC's]] Campus Press Conference, Battista stated that his party stood for "Lower taxes or the intelligent distribution of the tax dollar in running local city government; the elimination of waste, the elimination of inefficiency, and the proper planning of our community." Battista also railed against communist influence in the city government, and alleged that there were communists living in New York City public housing.<ref name="archive_vito">{{cite web |title=The NYPR Archive Collections - Vito P. Battista |url=https://www.wnyc.org/story/vito-p-battista/ |website=WNYC |access-date=19 August 2021}}</ref>
-In a distant third was the United Taxpayers candidate [[Vito P. Battista]], who received 3.08% of the vote.
+[[Eric Hass]] was selected by the [[Socialist Labor Party]] in April 1957. Hass had previously been the party's nominee for president in 1952 and 1956.<ref>{{cite news |title=Mayoralty Candidate Named |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1957/04/14/121641256.html?pageNumber=26 |access-date=19 August 2021 |work=New York Times |date=14 April 1957}}</ref> Because of a New York law prohibiting parties from using names held by other parties, the SLP had appeared as the Industrial Government Party on the ballot for many years.<ref>{{cite news |title=SOCIALIST LABORITES GET OWN NAME BACK |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1957/11/03/93218234.html?pageNumber=63 |access-date=19 August 2021 |work=New York Times |date=3 November 1957}}</ref> Joyce Cowley of Manhattan was chosen as the candidate of the [[Socialist Workers Party (United States)|Socialist Workers Party]].<ref>{{cite news |title=SOCIALIST SLATE FILED |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1957/09/19/84981086.html?pageNumber=15 |access-date=19 August 2021 |work=New York Times |date=19 September 1957}}</ref>
-Wagner swept all five boroughs, breaking 60% of the vote in [[Queens]] and [[Staten Island]], and breaking 70% of the vote in [[Manhattan]], [[Brooklyn]], and the [[Bronx]].
+From the start of the campaign, Wagner was favored for reelection. Though Christenberry was praised by Democrats like [[Eleanor Roosevelt]] for his energy and knowledge of the issues, even traditionally Republican newspapers were not optimistic about his chances.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Roosevelt |first1=Eleanor |title=My Day by Eleanor Roosevelt, July 6, 1957 |url=https://www2.gwu.edu/~erpapers/myday/displaydoc.cfm?_y=1957&_f=md003847 |website=George Washington University |access-date=19 August 2021}}</ref> Despite this, President [[Dwight D. Eisenhower|Eisenhower]] and Vice President [[Richard Nixon|Nixon]] appeared with and endorsed Christenberry.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Egan |first1=Leo |title=President, Here, Endorses Christenberry for Mayor |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1957/10/23/90843765.html?pageNumber=1 |access-date=19 August 2021 |work=New York Times |date=23 October 1957}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Illson |first1=Murray |title=CITY SAFETY ISSUE BACKED BY NIXON |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1957/09/11/84975000.html?pageNumber=26 |access-date=19 August 2021 |work=New York Times |date=11 September 1957}}</ref> Former Governor Dewey endorsed Christenberry just four days before the election in a letter.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kaplan |first1=Morris |title=DEWEY ENDORSES G.O.P. CITY TICKET Ex-Governor Comes Out for Ch |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1957/11/02/90847143.html?pageNumber=1 |access-date=19 August 2021 |work=New York Times |date=2 November 1957}}</ref>
-Wagner was also the nominee of the [[Liberal Party of New York|Liberal Party]], and additionally ran on the City Fusion ballot line.
+In an ironic incident during the campaign, Christenberry, who referred to Wagner as weak on crime, had his hotel was raided by New York City police and an illegal casino in the basement was broken up.<ref name="rockefeller">{{cite book |title=On His Own Terms: A Life of Nelson Rockefeller |date=2014 |publisher=Random House |isbn=9780812996876 |access-date=19 August 2021}}</ref>
-Wagner would be sworn into his second term in January 1958.
 ==Results==
+Wagner received 69.23% of the vote to Christenberry's 26.86%, a landslide Democratic victory margin of 42.37%. Wagner swept all five boroughs, breaking 60% of the vote in [[Queens]] and [[Staten Island]], and breaking 70% of the vote in [[Manhattan]], [[Brooklyn]], and the [[Bronx]].
+{{Election box begin no change
+|title=New York City Mayoral Election, 1957<ref name="results">{{cite web|title=New York City Mayoral Election 1957|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=79432|publisher=Our Campaigns|access-date=29 April 2014}}</ref>}}
+{{Election box candidate with party link no change
+|candidate=[[Robert F. Wagner, Jr.]]
+|party=Democratic Party (United States)
+|votes=1,284,856
+|percentage=
+}}
+{{Election box candidate with party link no change
+|candidate=[[Robert F. Wagner, Jr.]]
+|party=Liberal Party of New York
+|votes=217,941
+|percentage=
+}}
+{{Election box candidate with party link no change
+|candidate=[[Robert F. Wagner, Jr.]]
+|party=City Fusion Party
+|votes=6,978
+|percentage=
+}}
+{{Election box winning candidate no change
+|candidate=[[Robert F. Wagner, Jr.]] (incumbent)
+|party=Total
+|votes=1,509,775
+|percentage=69.23
+}}
+{{Election box candidate with party link no change
+|candidate= Robert K. Christenberry
+|party=Republican Party (United States)
+|votes=274,423
+|percentage=23.95
+}}
+{{Election box candidate with party link no change
+|candidate= [[Vito P. Battista]]
+|party=United Taxpayers Party
+|votes=67,266
+|percentage=3.08
+}}
+{{Election box candidate with party link no change
+|candidate=Joyce Cowley
+|party= Socialist Workers Party (United States)
+|votes=13,453
+|percentage=0.62
+}}
+{{Election box candidate with party link no change
+|party=Socialist Labor Party (United States)
+|candidate=[[Eric Hass]]
+|votes=4,611
+|percentage=0.21
+}}
+{{Election box total no change
+|votes=2,180,873
+|percentage=100
+}}
+{{Election box hold with party link no change
+|winner=Democratic Party (United States)
+}}
+{{Election box end}}
+===Results by borough===
 {| class="wikitable"  style="width:100%; text-align:right;"
 |- style="text-align:center;"
@@ Line 77: / Line 142: @@
 | colspan="2"|{{center|'''T O T A L'''}}||colspan="5"| &nbsp;||'''2,179,878'''||
 |}
-The Wagner-Christenberry campaign has left us one of the great campaign anecdotes: Christenberry was railing against Wagner's police department for not doing enough to fight corruption and vice, so the cops raided Christenberry's illegal casino in the basement of the hotel he was manager of. Other vote was:
-Vito Battista - United Taxpayer's Party - 67,266 3.1%; Joyce Cowley - Socialist Workers - 13,453 0.6%; Eric Haas - Socialist Labor- 4,611 0.2%
 ==References==

v t e (1956←) 1957 United States elections (→1958)
U.S. Senate	Texas (Special) Wisconsin (Special)
U.S. House	Illinois 7th sp New Jersey 2nd sp New Mexico Pennsylvania 13th sp
Governors	New Jersey Virginia
Mayors	Los Angeles, CA Manchester, NH New York City, NY Pittsburgh, PA Springfield, MA