According to an article in the New York Daily News of April 11, Mayor Mike Bloomberg has now secured the support of the county chair of the Bronx Borough Republican Party. New York election laws permit an independent (or a member of another party) to run in a party primary for Mayor of New York City, if that candidate gets permission to run from 3 of the 5 boroughs of the city. Bloomberg had already been endorsed for re-election this year by the leaders of the Brooklyn and Staten Island Republican Parties. Bloomberg has been a registered independent since late in 2007, and he expects to continue to be an independent.
It is difficult to remember any other instance at which the Republican Party of any state has nominated a registered independent for an important partisan office. Of course, Bloomberg has not formally been nominated yet. The primary is in September 2009. However, no one expects him to have any trouble winning the Republican primary. The only suspense had been whether the Republicans would let him run in their primary. Bloomberg has also recently been assured that he may run in the Independence Party primary. Thanks to Bill Van Allen for the link.
What I find especially bizarre is that Bloomberg is an EX-Republican, having originally been elected as a Republican. Why would the party apparatchiks now be committing the party machine to the re-election of an office-holder who LEFT them?
Because NYC Republicans want to back the winning horse and not further marginalize themselves.
I suspect Bloomberg is shooting for some sort of future office as an Independent candidate or to become the official Independent American power broker.
He seems like a pretty decent politician with some good ideas, but has he actually tried to do anything in the realm of electoral reform.
I will laugh when he gets rejected by the party.
My guess is that the Independence Party nomination is now more important, in New York City, than the Republican Party nod. (Having both, though, would be very helpful.) As I have been saying and writing for years now, the GOP will be a minor-sized party by 2012. If the Democrats put up an excellent candidate for Mayor this year, they should be able to win.
“…has he actually tried to do anything in the realm of electoral reform.”
The answer is yes. The people of New York City voted overwhelmingly twice in referendums to limit their mayors to two terms in office. Bloomberg led the City Council to overturn the will of the people so that he — and they — could run for a third term. That counts as electoral reform, doesn’t it?
………Interesting
Democratic mayor of NYC Ed Koch ran for re-election as Mayor (I forget which election) as the party endorsed candidate. He defeated a state assemblyman, John Esposito, in the primary and appeared on the general election ballot as both the Democratic and Republican candidates.
Nonpartisan nominations and elections of all elected executive officers and all judges NOW using Approval Voting — vote for 1 or more, highest win.
Abolish all vetoes — a carryover from the EVIL divine right of kings era in the Dark Age — 476 AD Fall of Roman Empire to 1689 Glorious Revolution in England.
The DANGER from party hack executive – judicial officers is now TOTAL — due to the minority rule gerrymanders in the U.S.A. Congress and all 50 State legislatures.
See the TOTAL R-O-T in the U.S.A. since 1932 — de facto god – king – emperor LAWLESS Prezs doing their EVIL machinations nonstop.
Why not try to get on multiple minor parties instead Independence, Libertarian, Conservative etc. ?
#10 Why not the Green, Democratic, Liberal, Working Families, Bloomberg Egomania, and Lopez-Torres parties, plus run as an independent as well?
Well, I suspect that some rules exist when it comes to the use of fusion. I reread the 1997 USSC on the subject and was amazed how bad it really was.
Koch probably has too many skeletons in the closest to seek higher office, but I suspect Bloomberg has plans down the line.
I was thinking about ballot access law reform….