Bloomberg Hangs On

Michael Bloomberg is still New York City’s mayor, but at least challenger Bill Thompson made him sweat. Bloomberg won a third term 51 percent to 46 percent, after polls showed him winning in excess of 15 points; four years ago, he won by a 20-point margin. Bloomberg spent $90 million—a record for municipal spending, and 14 times more than Thompson spent. Part of the reason for the close call was that Bloomberg’s celebrated political machine failed to turn out the vote: Turnout was on track to be the lowest in modern New York City history. “Everybody was shocked,” one Bloomberg aide told The New York Times.