1992 United States Senate election in New York

Last updated

1992 United States Senate election in New York
Flag of New York (1909-2020).svg
←  1986 November 3, 1992 1998  →
  Alfonse D'Amato.jpg Soundview Abrams, Bronx Borough President (NYPL b11524053-1253146) (cropped).tiff
Nominee Al D'Amato Robert Abrams
Party Republican Democratic
Alliance
Parties
 Liberal
Popular vote3,166,9943,086,200
Percentage49.03%47.78%
1992 United States Senate election in New York results map by county.svg
County results

D'Amato:     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%

Abrams:     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%
U.S. senator before election

Al D'Amato
Republican

Elected U.S. Senator

Al D'Amato
Republican

The 1992 United States Senate election in New York took place on November 3, 1992, alongside other elections to the United States Senate in other states, as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Incumbent Senator Al D'Amato narrowly won re-election to a third term. As of 2024, this is the last time Republicans won a U.S. Senate election in New York, and the last time that the winning presidential and U.S. Senate candidates in New York were of different political parties.

Contents

Republican primary

Candidates

Declared

Withdrew

Results

Senator D'Amato was unopposed for re-nomination.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Declared

Withdrew

Declined

  • Mark Green, New York City Commissioner of Consumer Affairs; Democratic nominee for Senate in 1986 [2]

Campaign

The Democratic primary campaign featured State Attorney General Robert Abrams, former U.S. Congresswoman and 1984 vice presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro, Reverend Al Sharpton, and New York City Comptroller and former Congresswoman Elizabeth Holtzman. Congressman Robert J. Mrazek was also an early candidate, but withdrew from the race after being named in the House banking scandal. [3] Abrams was considered the initial front-runner. [4]

Ferraro emphasized her career as a teacher, prosecutor, congresswoman, and mother, and positioned herself as being tough on crime. [5] She soon took the lead in the polls, additionally capitalizing on her name recognition from 1984. [6] However, she drew attacks from the media and her opponents over her husband John Zaccaro's finances and business relationships. [6] Initially, Ferraro used the attacks in an attempt to galvanize the feminist vote, but her lead began to dwindle under the criticism, and she released additional tax returns in an attempt to defray the attacks. [7] [8] [9] Holtzman ran a negative ad accusing Ferraro and Zaccaro of taking more than $300,000 in rent in the 1980s from a pornographer with purported ties to organized crime. [10]

Results

Primary results by county. Map legend .mw-parser-output .legend{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .legend-color{display:inline-block;min-width:1.25em;height:1.25em;line-height:1.25;margin:1px 0;text-align:center;border:1px solid black;background-color:transparent;color:black}.mw-parser-output .legend-text{} Abrams--40-50% Abrams--30-40% Ferraro--30-40% Ferraro--40-50% Ferraro--50-60% Ferraro--60-70% Ferraro--70-80% 1992 United States Senate Democratic primary election in New York results map by county.svg
Primary results by county.
Map legend
  •   Abrams—40–50%
  •   Abrams—30–40%
  •   Ferraro—30–40%
  •   Ferraro—40–50%
  •   Ferraro—50–60%
  •   Ferraro—60–70%
  •   Ferraro—70–80%

In the primary, Abrams won by less than one percentage point, winning 37 percent of the vote to Ferraro's 36 percent. [8] Ferraro did not concede the election for two weeks. [11]

Democratic primary results [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Robert Abrams 426,904 37.02%
Democratic Geraldine Ferraro 415,65036.04%
Democratic Al Sharpton 166,66514.45%
Democratic Elizabeth Holtzman 144,02612.49%
Total votes1,153,245 100.00%

General election

Campaign

After Abrams emerged as the nominee, the Democrats remained divided. In particular, Abrams spent much of the remainder of the campaign trying to get Ferraro's endorsement. [13] Ferraro, enraged and bitter after the nature of the primary, [7] [11] ignored Abrams, and accepted Bill Clinton's request to campaign for his presidential bid instead. She was eventually persuaded by state party leaders into giving an unenthusiastic endorsement, with just three days to go before the general election, in exchange for an apology by Abrams for the tone of the primary. [13]

Abrams was also accused of engaging in ethnically charged attacks against the Italian ancestry of both Ferraro and D'Amato. Ahead of the primary, Ferraro sought to defend herself against accusations that she received financial support from organized crime in her 1978 congressional campaign, claiming that, "If I were not Italian American, this whole thing would never have been brought up." [14] In October, Abrams was again accused of anti-Italian political attacks, after calling D'Amato a "fascist" at a campaign event and alleging that he had engaged in the "big lie techniques" of Nazi propaganda officers. [15] At a Columbus Day parade the following day, D'Amato accused Abrams of engaging in ethnic insults on his Italian ancestry, and in a subsequent campaign ad featured images of Italian fascist leader Benito Mussolini to depict the word "fascist" as an anti-Italian slur. [16] Abrams narrowly lost the general election, partially as a result of these controversies. [17]

Polling

Poll sourceDate(s)
administered		Sample
size		Margin of
error		Alfonse
D'Amato (R)		Robert
Abrams (D)		Other/NeitherUndecided
Buffalo News/Political-Media Research Inc. [18] October 30, 1992833± 3.5%42%44%-14%

Results

General election results [19] [20]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Al D'Amato (incumbent)2,652,82241.07%
Conservative Al D'Amato (incumbent)289,2584.48%
Right to Life Al D'Amato (incumbent)224,9143.48%
Total Al D'Amato (incumbent) 3,166,994 49.03%
Democratic Robert Abrams2,943,00145.57%
Liberal Robert Abrams143,1992.22%
TotalRobert Abrams3,086,20047.78%
Libertarian Norma Segal108,5301.68%
New Alliance Mohammad T. Mehdi56,6310.88%
Natural Law Stanley Nelson23,7470.37%
Socialist Workers Eddie Warren16,7240.26%
Republican hold

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geraldine Ferraro</span> American politician (1935–2011)

Geraldine Anne Ferraro was an American politician, diplomat, and attorney. She served in the United States House of Representatives from 1979 to 1985, and was the Democratic Party's nominee for vice president in the 1984 presidential election, running alongside Walter Mondale; this made her the first female vice-presidential nominee representing a major American political party. She was also a journalist, author, and businesswoman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Al D'Amato</span> American politician (born 1937)

Alfonse Marcello D'Amato is an American attorney, lobbyist, and Republican politician who represented the state of New York in the United States Senate from 1981 to 1999. From 1995 to 1999, he chaired the Senate Banking Committee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1992 Democratic Party presidential primaries</span> Selection of the Democratic Party nominee

From February 10 to June 9, 1992, voters of the Democratic Party chose its nominee for president in the 1992 United States presidential election. Despite scandals and questions about his character, Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton won the nomination through a series of primary elections and caucuses culminating in the 1992 Democratic National Convention held from July 13 to July 16, 1992, in New York City. Clinton and Tennessee Senator Al Gore were nominated by the convention for president and vice president, respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Green (New York politician)</span> American lawyer

Mark Joseph Green is an American author, former public official, public interest lawyer, and Democratic politician from New York City. Green was New York City Consumer Affairs Commissioner from 1990 to 1993 and New York City Public Advocate from 1994 to 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jacob Javits</span> American lawyer and politician (1904–1986)

Jacob Koppel Javits was an American lawyer and politician from New York. During his time in politics, he served in both chambers of the United States Congress, a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1947 to 1954 and a member of the United States Senate from 1957 to 1981. A member of the Republican Party, he also served as Attorney General of New York from 1955 to 1957. Generally considered a liberal Republican, he was often at odds with his own party. A supporter of labor unions, the Great Society, and the civil rights movement, he played a key role in the passing of civil rights legislation. An opponent of the Vietnam War, he drafted the War Powers Resolution in 1973.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1998 United States Senate elections</span>

The 1998 United States Senate elections were held on November 3, 1998, with the 34 seats of Class 3 contested in regular elections. This was seen as an even contest between the Republican Party and Democratic Party. While the Democrats had to defend more seats up for election, Republican attacks on the morality of President Bill Clinton failed to connect with voters and anticipated Republican gains did not materialize. The Republicans picked open seats up in Ohio and Kentucky and narrowly defeated Democratic incumbent Carol Moseley Braun, but these were cancelled out by the Democrats' gain of an open seat in Indiana and defeats of Republican Senators Al D'Amato and Lauch Faircloth. The balance of the Senate remained unchanged at 55–45 in favor of the Republicans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1996 United States Senate elections</span>

The 1996 United States Senate elections were held on November 5, 1996, with the 33 seats of Class 2 contested in regular elections. Special elections were also held to fill vacancies. They coincided with the presidential election of the same year, in which Democrat Bill Clinton was re-elected president.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1992 United States Senate elections</span>

The 1992 United States Senate elections, held November 3, 1992, were elections for the United States Senate. The 34 seats of Class 3 were contested in regular elections, along with special elections to fill vacancies. They coincided with Bill Clinton's victory in the presidential election. This was the first time since 1956 that the balance of the Senate remained the same.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1980 United States Senate elections</span>

The 1980 United States Senate elections were held on November 4, coinciding with Ronald Reagan's victory in the presidential election. The 34 Senate seats of Class 3 were contested in regular elections. Reagan's large margin of victory over incumbent Jimmy Carter gave a huge boost to Republican Senate candidates, allowing them to flip 12 Democratic seats and win control of the chamber for the first time since the end of the 83rd Congress in January 1955. This was the first time since 1966 that any party successfully defended all their own seats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1952 United States Senate elections</span>

The 1952 United States Senate elections was an election for the United States Senate which coincided with the election of Dwight D. Eisenhower to the presidency by a large margin. The 32 Senate seats of Class 1 were contested in regular elections, and three special elections were held to fill vacancies. The Republicans took control of the Senate by managing to make a net gain of two seats. However, Wayne Morse (R-OR) became an independent forcing Republicans to rely on Vice President Richard Nixon's tie-breaking vote, although Republicans maintained a 48–47–1 plurality. Wayne Morse would caucus with the Republicans at the start of Congress’ second session on January 6, 1954 to allow the GOP to remain in control of the Senate. This was the third time, as well as second consecutive, in which a sitting Senate leader lost his seat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elizabeth Holtzman</span> American politician (born 1941)

Elizabeth Holtzman is an American attorney and politician who served in the United States House of Representatives from New York's 16th congressional district as a member of the Democratic Party from 1973 to 1981. She then served as district attorney of Kings County from 1982 to 1989, and as the 40th Comptroller of New York City from 1990 to 1993.

Arthur Jay Finkelstein was a New York state-based Republican Party (GOP) consultant who worked for conservative and right-wing candidates in the United States, Canada, Israel, Central Europe, and Eastern Europe over four decades.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Abrams</span> American lawyer and politician

Robert Abrams is an American attorney and politician. He served as the attorney general of New York from 1979 to 1993 and was the Democratic nominee for the 1992 United States Senate election in New York.

John Anthony Zaccaro is an American real estate developer and owner of P. Zaccaro & Company, which was founded by his father Philip Zaccaro. The company acts as a landlord for properties in the Little Italy, Chinatown, and East Side areas of Manhattan and previously in Queens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1994 New York gubernatorial election</span>

The 1994 New York gubernatorial election was an election for the state governorship held on November 8, 1994. Incumbent Democratic governor Mario Cuomo ran for a fourth term, but was defeated by Republican George Pataki in an upset victory. Pataki had previously been described by the New York Daily News as "a little-known Republican state senator." The conservative New York Post attributed the result to how voters "had grown tired of the 12-year incumbent Cuomo and his liberalism."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1980 United States Senate election in New York</span>

The 1980 United States Senate election in New York was held on November 4, 1980. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Jacob Javits was defeated in the primary by Al D'Amato. D'Amato went on to win a plurality in the general election over Elizabeth Holtzman and Javits, who remained in the race as the candidate of the Liberal Party of New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1998 United States Senate election in New York</span>

The 1998 United States Senate election in New York was held November 3, 1998, along with elections to the United States Senate in other states, as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Incumbent Republican Senator Al D'Amato lost his bid for a fourth term to Democrat Chuck Schumer in what was considered by many to be the "high[est] profile and nastiest" contest of the year. This was the first time since 1950 that Democrats won the Class 3 United States Senate seat from New York, and the last time an incumbent U.S. Senator from New York lost a general election. Schumer's swearing in marked the first time since 1947 that Democrats held both of New York's U.S. Senate seats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1986 United States Senate election in New York</span>

The 1986 United States Senate election in New York took place on November 4, 1986, alongside other elections to the United States Senate in other states as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walter Mondale 1984 presidential campaign</span> American political campaign

The Walter Mondale 1984 presidential campaign began on February 21, 1983, when Walter Mondale, a former Minnesota senator and vice president of the United States, announced that he was running for president in a speech at the Minnesota State Capitol. Mondale won the Democratic Party's presidential nomination after convincing Frank Lautenberg, a previously unpledged party delegate, to support him. Lautenberg's vote gave Mondale the 1,967 delegate votes needed to become the Democratic Party's nominee. Mondale picked Geraldine Ferraro, a U.S. representative from New York, as his running mate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1994 New York Attorney General election</span>

The 1994 New York Attorney General election took place on November 8, 1994. Republican nominee Dennis Vacco narrowly defeated Democratic nominee Karen Burstein. As of 2023, this is the last time a Republican was elected Attorney General of New York.

References

  1. ↑ Purdum, Todd S. (July 12, 1992). "JULY 5-11: Rockefeller vs. D'Amato; A Powerful Political Name Reappears in New York". The New York Times.
  2. ↑ Schwartz, Maralee; Kurtz, Howard (June 9, 1991). "D'AMATO FOE GREEN RULES OUT REMATCH IN NEW YORK IN '92". Washington Post .
  3. ↑ Pear, Robert (March 20, 1992). "Mrazek Is Said to Be Ready to Quit Senate Race". The New York Times . Retrieved June 24, 2018.
  4. ↑ Kolbert, Elizabeth (October 21, 1991). "In Senate Campaign, Ferraro Picks Up Where She Left Off". The New York Times .
  5. ↑ Braden, Maria (1996). Women Politicians and the Media. Lexington, Kentucky: The University Press of Kentucky. p. 135. ISBN   0-8131-1970-7.
  6. 1 2 Mitchell, Alison (September 1, 1992). "For Ferraro, Cheers of '84 Are Still Resonating". The New York Times .
  7. 1 2 Lurie, Leonard (1994). Senator Pothole: The Unauthorized Biography of Al D'Amato . Birch Lane Press. pp.  465, 467. ISBN   1-55972-227-4.
  8. 1 2 Purdum, Todd S. (September 16, 1992). "Abrams, In Tight Senate Vote, Appears to Edge Out Ferraro". The New York Times .
  9. ↑ Blumenthal, Ralph (September 11, 1992). "Ferraro Releases Tax Returns for 2 Missing Years to Offset Attacks by Rivals". The New York Times .
  10. ↑ Mitchell, Alison (August 27, 1992). "Holtzman Draws Criticism From Feminists Over Ads". The New York Times .
  11. 1 2 Verhovek, Sam Howe (October 1, 1992). "Abrams Gets A Concession From Ferraro". The New York Times .
  12. ↑ "NY US Senate D Primary Race - September 15, 1992". Our Campaigns. Retrieved June 24, 2018.
  13. 1 2 Manegold, Catherine S. (November 1, 1992). "Ferraro Gets An Apology From Abrams". The New York Times .
  14. ↑ Treadwell, David (September 15, 1992). "'92 POLITICAL PERSPECTIVE : A Family Feud Comes to a Close - at Ballot Box: N.Y. Senate primary today ends Democratic fight over Ferraro. But GOP could benefit". Los Angeles Times.
  15. ↑ Mouat, Lucia (October 22, 1992). "D'Amato, Abrams Splatter Road To US Senate With Lots of Mud". Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved August 18, 2018.
  16. ↑ Stanley, Alessandra (November 5, 1992). "THE 1992 ELECTIONS: NEW YORK STATE - U.S. SENATE RACE; D'Amato: Combining Money, Attacks, and Foe's Blunders". New York Times. Retrieved August 18, 2018.
  17. ↑ Attorney General Abrams to Quit To Join a Law Firm in Manhattan. New York Times. September 9, 1993.
  18. ↑ Buffalo News/Political-Media Research Inc.
  19. ↑ "Our Campaigns - NY US Senate Race - Nov 03, 1992".
  20. ↑ Clerk of the House of Representatives (1993). "Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional election of November 3, 1992" (PDF). U.S. Government Printing Office.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.