1965 New York City mayoral election

1965 New York City mayoral election

November 2, 1965
Turnout80.8% (registered voters)
 
Candidate John Lindsay Abraham Beame William F. Buckley Jr.
Party Republican Democratic Conservative
Alliance Liberal Civil Service
Popular vote 1,149,106 1,046,699 341,226
Percentage 45.0% 41.0% 13.4%

Results by Borough
  Beame—40–50%
  Lindsay—50–60%
  Lindsay—40–50%

Mayor before election

Robert F. Wagner, Jr.
Democratic

Elected Mayor

John Lindsay
Republican

The 1965 New York City mayoral election occurred on Tuesday, November 2, 1965, with Republican Congressman John Lindsay winning a close plurality victory over the Democratic candidate, New York City Comptroller Abraham Beame.

Lindsay received 44.99% of the vote to Beame's 40.98%, a victory margin of 4.01%. Finishing in a distant third was the candidate of the recently formed Conservative Party, conservative author and commentator William F. Buckley Jr., who received 13.36% of the vote. Lindsay and Beame received the Liberal and Civil Service ballot line respectively. Lindsay won a decisive majority in Manhattan, while winning comfortable plurality victories in Queens and Staten Island. Beame won pluralities in the Bronx and Brooklyn. This was the first time since 1941, and the last time until 1993, that Republicans won a mayoral election in New York City.