1973 New York City mayoral election 1973 New York City mayoral election The New York City mayoral election of 1973 occurred on Tuesday, November 6, 1973, with the Democratic candidate, New York City Comptroller Abraham Beame winning the mayoralty with a decisive majority amongst a highly divided field. Beame, a Democrat, also ran on the Civil Service ballot line. Beame received a decisive 56.49% of the vote citywide. Beame also swept all five boroughs, breaking 60% of the vote in Brooklyn, winning majorities in Queens and the Bronx, and winning with pluralities in Manhattan and Staten Island. Beame's distant but closest competitor was the Republican nominee,
Staten Island Tunnel funded by the city, the tunnel was expected to help expand the then-sparsely populated borough in a similar manner to the population and development explosions seen in Brooklyn and the Bronx. Under the Dual Contracts, three routes were proposed—two to Brooklyn and one to Manhattan—which would connect the Staten Island Railway's rapid transit service (SIRT) to existing subway lines. The Manhattan proposal, often called the "direct route," would have connected with the Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT)'s lines under Battery Park, near the current Brooklyn–Battery Tunnel. "Direct Route A" would have utilized a five-section tunnel under the New York Harbor,