Fernando Ferrer
Encyclopedia
Fernando James "Freddy" Ferrer (born April 30, 1950) was the Borough President
of The Bronx
from 1987 to 2001, and was a candidate for Mayor of New York in 2001 and the Democratic Party
nominee for Mayor in 2005.
section of the South Bronx
and was raised by his mother and by his grandmother, who worked in the kitchen of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel
. Ferrer graduated from Catholic school
s in the Bronx: St. Anselm Elementary School and Cardinal Spellman High School
. As a high school student, he was a member of Aspira of New York, where he was elected to the post of Vice President of the citywide Aspira Clubs Federation (ACF), which included other future Puerto Rican leaders like Ninfa Segarra and Angelo Falcón. In 1968, as an Aspirante, he was part of a major student protest at the NYC Board of Education that resulted in such reforms as bilingual report cards and the recognition by the public schools of Puerto Rican Discovery Day (November 19).
He attended New York University
before he got involved in community service as a student. Ferrer entered politics, and was elected to the New York City Council
at the age of 32. Remembering how he had to translate for his grandmother when she was hospitalized, he authored legislation requiring interpreters in city emergency rooms. Ferrer went on to chair the Health Committee, fight for anti-discrimination laws on behalf of gays and lesbians, and lead the fight for a Civilian Complaint Review Board
for the NYPD.
Currently, Ferrer resides in the relatively affluent Riverdale
section of the Bronx. Though both Riverdale and Ferrer's native Hunts Point are located in the Bronx, they are the wealthiest and poorest neighborhoods in the borough, respectively. He worked to establish an insurance company in New York City, Poder Insurance Agency, with longtime political allies Luis Miranda, Jr. and Roberto Ramirez, Sr. (New York Magazine, October 16, 2006), and he appears regularly on NY1
News' "Wise Guy" segment along with former NYC Mayor Ed Koch and former US Senator Alfonse Damato.
Ferrer earned his B.A.
degree from the University Heights Campus of New York University
and M.P.A.
from Baruch College
.
neighborhood, and a steady rise in business
and real estate
investment
.
In 1997, Ferrer launched a campaign for Mayor of New York. Trailing in the polls and under increased pressure from party insiders for a unified Democratic Party, he abruptly dropped out and endorsed the eventual Democratic nominee, Manhattan Borough President Ruth Messinger
.
nomination
for mayor
. He won the first primary
with 34%, but failed to win the necessary 40% to secure the nomination and ultimately lost a divisive runoff election to Mark Green
following the September 11th terrorist attack on the World Trade Center towers. Ferrer, who is of Puerto Rican
descent, received a high level of support from Hispanic
voters but not from African-Americans. In the first round, Ferrer also finished ahead of City Council Speaker Peter Vallone and Comptroller Alan Hevesi
.
in 2005 (see New York City mayoral election, 2005
).
During the campaign, Ferrer proposed reviving a stock transfer tax for Wall Street
to help pay for education; this tax ended in 1981 but while different and smaller than the original tax was treated as if it were exactly the same. The tax had resulted in and been dropped as a result of threats by brokerage houses to move theior operations base to New Jersey. Ferrer sought to create 167,000 homes, proposed hiring 1,900 new police officers, supported same-sex marriage
, opposed the Urstadt law, supported the Second Avenue Subway
and was opposed to tolls on the East River
bridges as well as allowing residents of Staten Island to be able to cross the bridge connecting Staten Island to Brooklyn for free as other residents of other boroughs can do from their borough to others (such as the Brooklyn bridge). On October 23, Ferrer proposed Home Owner Property Exemption, or HOPE, a tax break
for homeowners with a home property value of less than $100,000 which would have more than doubled the property tax rebate given to NYers.
A theme of his election campaign in 2001 was called the Two New Yorks and was altered for the 2005 campaign due to attacks that it was too race motivated. This is the conclusion of his stump speech:
His campaign was hurt by remarks he made in March 2005 concerning the Amadou Diallo shooting. Ferrer, who'd marched in protest against the shooting when it occurred and had gotten arrested, expressed his belief to the New York City Police Department
Sergeant's Benevolent Association that the incident was a "tragedy," but "not a crime." He was strongly criticized by Diallo's family and others for these remarks, and he slid in popularity polls, especially among African-Americans. These comments, although taken out of context, were never properly addressed and just followed the campaign the entire way. The comments and ensuing events also caused a long-time campaign consultant, from Chicago, and a new spokesperson, from Texas, to leave the campaign due to a power struggle over what to do. The new campaign team was made up of advisors from Ferrer's primary consulting firm, Global Strategy Group.
In the primary election held on September 13, 2005, the first tally indicated that Ferrer garnered 39.95% of the final vote. He needed 40% to avoid a runoff, but Anthony D. Weiner
, the second place finisher, conceded, thus ensuring Ferrer would advance to the general election. A final count of the total votes indicated that Ferrer actually received 40.15% of the votes. Ferrer also defeated Manhattan Borough President C. Virginia Fields and City Council Speaker Gifford Miller
.
Over the course of the campaign he was endorsed by Attorney General and gubernatorial candidate Eliot Spitzer
, Senators Charles Schumer
and Hillary Rodham Clinton
, former Democratic Vice Presidential nominee Sen. John Edwards
, as well as Howard Dean
, Reverend Al Sharpton
, the Working Families Party
and former Mayor David Dinkins
.
Bill Clinton
endorsed Ferrer on October 20. Despite the importance of the endorsement, local media such as 1010 WINS: emphasized minor snafus, arguing that "Ferrer's golden opportunity was nearly wasted as miscommunication between Clinton's office and Ferrer's campaign caused some snags and disarray." This "problem" was due to an issue with a sound system.
Political analyst Fred Siegel
summarized Ferrer's campaign in The New Republic
http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?i=w051107&s=siegel110805:
Ferrer's campaign was hurt when the New York Times and other big newspapers endorsed Mike Bloomberg. Also, Ferrer's campaign relied mainly on small contributions, compared to Bloomberg's $96 million from his personal billion dollar fortune.
Bloomberg defeated Ferrer by a margin of 19 percent although pre-election polls done just days before had claimed that he would lose by between 30 and 35 percent with the NY Post declaring the weekend before the election that it was over.
Borough president
Borough President is an elective office in each of the five boroughs of New York City.-Reasons for establishment:...
of The Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
from 1987 to 2001, and was a candidate for Mayor of New York in 2001 and the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
nominee for Mayor in 2005.
Background
Ferrer grew up on Fox Street in the LongwoodLongwood, Bronx
Longwood is a low income residential neighborhood geographically located in the southwest Bronx, New York City. The neighborhood is part of Bronx Community Board 2. Its boundaries, starting from the north and moving clockwise are: East 167th Street to the north, the Bronx River & the Bruckner...
section of the South Bronx
South Bronx
The South Bronx is an area of the New York City borough of The Bronx. The neighborhoods of Tremont, University Heights, Highbridge, Morrisania, Soundview, Hunts Point, and Castle Hill are sometimes considered part of the South Bronx....
and was raised by his mother and by his grandmother, who worked in the kitchen of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel
Waldorf-Astoria Hotel
The Waldorf-Astoria is a luxury hotel in New York. It has been housed in two historic landmark buildings in New York City. The first, designed by architect Henry J. Hardenbergh, was on the Fifth Avenue site of the Empire State Building. The present building at 301 Park Avenue in Manhattan is a...
. Ferrer graduated from Catholic school
Catholic school
Catholic schools are maintained parochial schools or education ministries of the Catholic Church. the Church operates the world's largest non-governmental school system...
s in the Bronx: St. Anselm Elementary School and Cardinal Spellman High School
Cardinal Spellman High School (New York City)
Cardinal Spellman High School is a Catholic diocesan high school located in the New York City borough of the Bronx. It is named after Cardinal Francis Spellman, the sixth archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York....
. As a high school student, he was a member of Aspira of New York, where he was elected to the post of Vice President of the citywide Aspira Clubs Federation (ACF), which included other future Puerto Rican leaders like Ninfa Segarra and Angelo Falcón. In 1968, as an Aspirante, he was part of a major student protest at the NYC Board of Education that resulted in such reforms as bilingual report cards and the recognition by the public schools of Puerto Rican Discovery Day (November 19).
He attended New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
before he got involved in community service as a student. Ferrer entered politics, and was elected to the New York City Council
New York City Council
The New York City Council is the lawmaking body of the City of New York. It has 51 members from 51 council districts throughout the five boroughs. The Council serves as a check against the mayor in a "strong" mayor-council government model. The council monitors performance of city agencies and...
at the age of 32. Remembering how he had to translate for his grandmother when she was hospitalized, he authored legislation requiring interpreters in city emergency rooms. Ferrer went on to chair the Health Committee, fight for anti-discrimination laws on behalf of gays and lesbians, and lead the fight for a Civilian Complaint Review Board
Civilian Complaint Review Board
The Civilian Complaint Review Board is an all-civilian board tasked with investigating civil complaints about alleged misconduct on the part of the New York Police Department.- History :...
for the NYPD.
Currently, Ferrer resides in the relatively affluent Riverdale
Riverdale, Bronx
Riverdale is an affluent residential neighborhood in the northwest portion of the Bronx in New York City. Riverdale contains the northernmost point in New York City.-History:...
section of the Bronx. Though both Riverdale and Ferrer's native Hunts Point are located in the Bronx, they are the wealthiest and poorest neighborhoods in the borough, respectively. He worked to establish an insurance company in New York City, Poder Insurance Agency, with longtime political allies Luis Miranda, Jr. and Roberto Ramirez, Sr. (New York Magazine, October 16, 2006), and he appears regularly on NY1
NY1
NY1, New York One, is a 24-hour cable-news television channel focusing on the five boroughs of New York City. In addition to news and weather forecasts, the channel also features human-interest segments such as the "New Yorker of the Week" and the "Scholar Athlete of the Week", and specialty...
News' "Wise Guy" segment along with former NYC Mayor Ed Koch and former US Senator Alfonse Damato.
Ferrer earned his B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree from the University Heights Campus of New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
and M.P.A.
Master of Public Administration
The Master of Public Administration is a professional post-graduate degree in Public Administration. The MPA program prepares individuals to serve as managers in the executive arm of local, state/provincial, and federal/national government, and increasingly in nongovernmental organization and...
from Baruch College
Baruch College
Bernard M. Baruch College, more commonly known as Baruch College, is a constituent college of the City University of New York, located in the Flatiron district of Manhattan, New York City. With an acceptance rate of just 23%, Baruch is among the most competitive and diverse colleges in the nation...
.
Bronx Borough President
Ferrer was appointed Bronx Borough President as the result of the then holder of that office, Stanley Simon, going to jail in a major municipal scandal, that included the imprisonment of then Bronx Democratic Party boss Stanley Friedman. Ferrer began his 14-year tenure as Bronx borough president when the Bronx was a symbol of urban decay and neglect. National attention led to a Federal commitment to rebuild. During the Ferrer administration housing was created for about 66,000 families. The borough saw a significant drop in crime, particularly in the South BronxSouth Bronx
The South Bronx is an area of the New York City borough of The Bronx. The neighborhoods of Tremont, University Heights, Highbridge, Morrisania, Soundview, Hunts Point, and Castle Hill are sometimes considered part of the South Bronx....
neighborhood, and a steady rise in business
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
and real estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
investment
Investment
Investment has different meanings in finance and economics. Finance investment is putting money into something with the expectation of gain, that upon thorough analysis, has a high degree of security for the principal amount, as well as security of return, within an expected period of time...
.
In 1997, Ferrer launched a campaign for Mayor of New York. Trailing in the polls and under increased pressure from party insiders for a unified Democratic Party, he abruptly dropped out and endorsed the eventual Democratic nominee, Manhattan Borough President Ruth Messinger
Ruth Messinger
Ruth Wyler Messinger is a former political leader in New York City and a member of the Democratic Party as well as the Democratic Socialists of America. She was the Democratic nominee for Mayor of New York City in 1997, losing to incumbent mayor Rudy Giuliani. She is married to Andrew Lachman, her...
.
2001 Mayoral Campaign
In 2001, Ferrer ran for the DemocraticDemocratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
nomination
Nomination
Nomination is part of the process of selecting a candidate for either election to an office, or the bestowing of an honor or award.In the context of elections for public office, a candidate who has been selected by a political party is normally said to be the nominee of that party...
for mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
. He won the first primary
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
with 34%, but failed to win the necessary 40% to secure the nomination and ultimately lost a divisive runoff election to Mark Green
Mark J. Green
Mark J. Green is an author, public interest lawyer and a Democratic politician who lives in New York City. He worked with Ralph Nader from 1970-1980, eventually as director of Public Citizen's Congress Watch, and is also the former president of Air America Radio .He was New York City Consumer...
following the September 11th terrorist attack on the World Trade Center towers. Ferrer, who is of Puerto Rican
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
descent, received a high level of support from Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
voters but not from African-Americans. In the first round, Ferrer also finished ahead of City Council Speaker Peter Vallone and Comptroller Alan Hevesi
Alan Hevesi
Alan G. Hevesi is a Democratic politician whoserved as a New York State Assemblyman from 1971 to 1993, as Comptroller of the City of New York from 1994 to 2001, and as State Comptroller for the State of New York from 2003 to 2006...
.
2005 Mayoral Campaign
Ferrer was the Democratic candidate for mayor, losing in the general election to incumbent Mayor Michael BloombergMichael Bloomberg
Michael Rubens Bloomberg is the current Mayor of New York City. With a net worth of $19.5 billion in 2011, he is also the 12th-richest person in the United States...
in 2005 (see New York City mayoral election, 2005
New York City mayoral election, 2005
The New York City mayoral election of 2005 occurred on Tuesday November 8, 2005, with incumbent Republican mayor Michael Bloomberg soundly defeating former Bronx borough president Fernando Ferrer, the Democratic nominee. They also faced several third party candidates.This was the fourth straight...
).
During the campaign, Ferrer proposed reviving a stock transfer tax for Wall Street
Wall Street
Wall Street refers to the financial district of New York City, named after and centered on the eight-block-long street running from Broadway to South Street on the East River in Lower Manhattan. Over time, the term has become a metonym for the financial markets of the United States as a whole, or...
to help pay for education; this tax ended in 1981 but while different and smaller than the original tax was treated as if it were exactly the same. The tax had resulted in and been dropped as a result of threats by brokerage houses to move theior operations base to New Jersey. Ferrer sought to create 167,000 homes, proposed hiring 1,900 new police officers, supported same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage is marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. Supporters of legal recognition for same-sex marriage typically refer to such recognition as marriage equality....
, opposed the Urstadt law, supported the Second Avenue Subway
Second Avenue Subway
The Second Avenue Subway is a planned rapid transit subway line, part of the New York City Subway system. Phase I, consisting of two miles of tunnel and three stations, is currently under construction underneath Second Avenue in the borough of Manhattan.A plan for more than 75 years, the Second...
and was opposed to tolls on the East River
East River
The East River is a tidal strait in New York City. It connects Upper New York Bay on its south end to Long Island Sound on its north end. It separates Long Island from the island of Manhattan and the Bronx on the North American mainland...
bridges as well as allowing residents of Staten Island to be able to cross the bridge connecting Staten Island to Brooklyn for free as other residents of other boroughs can do from their borough to others (such as the Brooklyn bridge). On October 23, Ferrer proposed Home Owner Property Exemption, or HOPE, a tax break
Tax break
Tax break is a slang term referring to any item which reduces tax, including any tax exemption, tax deduction, or tax credit. Tax break is also a pejorative term used in the United States to refer to purportedly favorable tax treatment of any class of persons, as in "individuals get a tax break...
for homeowners with a home property value of less than $100,000 which would have more than doubled the property tax rebate given to NYers.
A theme of his election campaign in 2001 was called the Two New Yorks and was altered for the 2005 campaign due to attacks that it was too race motivated. This is the conclusion of his stump speech:
- This is not about one New York against the other, this is about building a city united in opportunity, where all of us live under the blessing of possibility.
- There are two New Yorks. I have lived in both of them. Born in one, I crossed the bridge of hope and opportunity into the other, but I have never forgotten where I came from.
- That bridge took me from shining shoes on 149th Street and Southern Boulevard to this place where possibility opened up for me. It took me from Fox Street to the nomination of the Democratic Party to be Mayor of my hometown.
- It is that bridge that is the most important human infrastructure project, the bridge with planks of hope and opportunity that must be carefully maintained by a mayor who has never forgotten the millions of New Yorkers must be able to walk over that bridge too.
- And I will never stop fighting for what I believe in until every New Yorker can cross that bridge – and live in the greatest city in the world, with every opportunity they deserve, and where every dream—the way my mother believed—is possible.
His campaign was hurt by remarks he made in March 2005 concerning the Amadou Diallo shooting. Ferrer, who'd marched in protest against the shooting when it occurred and had gotten arrested, expressed his belief to the New York City Police Department
New York City Police Department
The New York City Police Department , established in 1845, is currently the largest municipal police force in the United States, with primary responsibilities in law enforcement and investigation within the five boroughs of New York City...
Sergeant's Benevolent Association that the incident was a "tragedy," but "not a crime." He was strongly criticized by Diallo's family and others for these remarks, and he slid in popularity polls, especially among African-Americans. These comments, although taken out of context, were never properly addressed and just followed the campaign the entire way. The comments and ensuing events also caused a long-time campaign consultant, from Chicago, and a new spokesperson, from Texas, to leave the campaign due to a power struggle over what to do. The new campaign team was made up of advisors from Ferrer's primary consulting firm, Global Strategy Group.
In the primary election held on September 13, 2005, the first tally indicated that Ferrer garnered 39.95% of the final vote. He needed 40% to avoid a runoff, but Anthony D. Weiner
Anthony D. Weiner
Anthony David Weiner is a former U.S. Representative who served from January 1999 until June 2011. A Democrat, Weiner held the seat previously occupied by Democrat Charles Schumer and won seven terms, never receiving less than 59 percent of the vote...
, the second place finisher, conceded, thus ensuring Ferrer would advance to the general election. A final count of the total votes indicated that Ferrer actually received 40.15% of the votes. Ferrer also defeated Manhattan Borough President C. Virginia Fields and City Council Speaker Gifford Miller
Gifford Miller
A. Gifford Miller is the former Speaker of the New York City Council, where he represented Council District 5. Barred from seeking reelection due to term limits, the Democrat ran unsuccessfully in the Democratic primary for the opportunity to run against incumbent Republican Mayor, Michael...
.
Over the course of the campaign he was endorsed by Attorney General and gubernatorial candidate Eliot Spitzer
Eliot Spitzer
Eliot Laurence Spitzer is an American lawyer, former Democratic Party politician, and political commentator. He was the co-host of In the Arena, a talk-show and punditry forum broadcast on CNN until CNN cancelled his show in July of 2011...
, Senators Charles Schumer
Charles Schumer
Charles Ellis "Chuck" Schumer is the senior United States Senator from New York and a member of the Democratic Party. First elected in 1998, he defeated three-term Republican incumbent Al D'Amato by a margin of 55%–44%. He was easily re-elected in 2004 by a margin of 71%–24% and in 2010 by a...
and Hillary Rodham Clinton
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton is the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. She was a United States Senator for New York from 2001 to 2009. As the wife of the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton, she was the First Lady of the...
, former Democratic Vice Presidential nominee Sen. John Edwards
John Edwards
Johnny Reid "John" Edwards is an American politician, who served as a U.S. Senator from North Carolina. He was the Democratic nominee for Vice President in 2004, and was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2004 and 2008.He defeated incumbent Republican Lauch Faircloth in...
, as well as Howard Dean
Howard Dean
Howard Brush Dean III is an American politician and physician from Vermont. He served six terms as the 79th Governor of Vermont and ran unsuccessfully for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination. He was chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2005 to 2009. Although his U.S...
, Reverend Al Sharpton
Al Sharpton
Alfred Charles "Al" Sharpton, Jr. is an American Baptist minister, civil rights activist, and television/radio talk show host. In 2004, he was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. presidential election...
, the Working Families Party
Working Families Party
The Working Families Party is a minor political party in the United States founded in New York in 1998. There are "sister" parties to the New York WFP in Connecticut, Massachusetts, South Carolina, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Oregon, but there is as yet no national WFP...
and former Mayor David Dinkins
David Dinkins
David Norman Dinkins is a former politician from New York City. He was the Mayor of New York City from 1990 through 1993; he was the first and is, to date, the only African American to hold that office.-Early life:...
.
Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
endorsed Ferrer on October 20. Despite the importance of the endorsement, local media such as 1010 WINS: emphasized minor snafus, arguing that "Ferrer's golden opportunity was nearly wasted as miscommunication between Clinton's office and Ferrer's campaign caused some snags and disarray." This "problem" was due to an issue with a sound system.
Political analyst Fred Siegel
Fred Siegel
Fred Siegel is a senior fellow at the Progressive Policy Institute who focuses on urban policy and politics...
summarized Ferrer's campaign in The New Republic
The New Republic
The magazine has also published two articles concerning income inequality, largely criticizing conservative economists for their attempts to deny the existence or negative effect increasing income inequality is having on the United States...
http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?i=w051107&s=siegel110805:
- If anyone doubted the hapless nature of Ferrer's campaign they had only to watch his ads featuring the rotund Reverend Al Sharpton salsa dancingSalsa (dance)Salsa is a syncretic dance form with origins in Cuba as the meeting point of Spanish and African cultures.Salsa is normally a partner dance, although there are recognized solo forms such as solo dancing "suelta" and "Rueda de Casino" where multiple couples exchange partners in a circle...
. In Fernando Ferrer's losing bid for mayor, that was about as innovative as things got. The campaign was also plagued by revenue problems as the ads they wished to use were too long and hence too expensive and these "salsa" ads were done to save money but also to hopefully get the campaign some needed attention. Sadly, the focus became Al Sharpton and the others used in these ads rather than the message they tried to convey.
Ferrer's campaign was hurt when the New York Times and other big newspapers endorsed Mike Bloomberg. Also, Ferrer's campaign relied mainly on small contributions, compared to Bloomberg's $96 million from his personal billion dollar fortune.
Bloomberg defeated Ferrer by a margin of 19 percent although pre-election polls done just days before had claimed that he would lose by between 30 and 35 percent with the NY Post declaring the weekend before the election that it was over.
2005 NYC Democratic Ticket
- Mayor: Fernando Ferrer
- Public Advocate: Betsy GotbaumBetsy GotbaumBetsy Gotbaum was the New York City Public Advocate. She was elected as Public Advocate for New York City in 2001, and reelected in 2005. A longtime civic leader, she is the third woman elected to a citywide post in NYC history. Because she ran unopposed in the 2001 and 2005 elections, Betsy...
- Comptroller: William Thompson
See also
- List of famous Puerto Ricans
- French immigration to Puerto RicoFrench immigration to Puerto RicoThe French immigration to Puerto Rico came about as a result of the economic and political situations which occurred in various places such as Louisiana , Saint-Domingue and in Europe....