Bloomberg
flattens rival by record margin in New York

Billionaire Republican Michael Bloomberg ran away with a second term as mayor of New York City in a rout of his underfunded Democratic challenger, after assembling a finely tuned campaign machine in the most expensive mayoral reelection in history. Bloomberg pummeled Fernando Ferrer on Tuesday by a 20-point margin, the largest of any Republican over a Democrat in a New York mayoral race. The last drubbing close to that magnitude was Rudolph Giuliani's 17-point reelection landslide in 1997. It was Giuliani's last-minute endorsement in 2001 that nudged Bloomberg into his first win less than two months after the World Trade Center attack. "I love this city even more today, if that's possible, than I did four years ago," Bloomberg said at his victory celebration. "I will continue to lead it honestly and independently by always putting people's interests ahead of the political interests." Ferrer, the former Bronx borough president, conceded his loss with supporters at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel, where his grandmother once earned a living working in the kitchen. He often mentioned her and his rise from a poor neighborhood as an example of the "two New Yorks" he said he would unite and represent if elected. Bloomberg, a former Democrat, tapped his $5 billion fortune to bankroll his campaign and was on pace to equal his 2001 record of $74 million. He outspent Ferrer by a 10-to-1 margin. Bloomberg, a moderate who supports same-sex marriage and abortion rights, persuaded many Democrats to put aside party loyalty. "I totally don't think he's a real Republican," said Cory Crayn, a die-hard Democrat who never strayed until he cast a vote for Bloomberg on Tuesday. "Otherwise, I really don't think I could have in good conscience voted for him today." (AP)