2013 Primary Analysis (Part Two): We Are Still a Tale of At Least Two Cities (and Probably More That That)

SHARPTON:  What the election showed the other night is that a lot of the identity politics of 20 years ago, 30 years ago, has now become identity politics of policy…You can no longer take yesterday’s maps for today’s politics…It’s a new day

Irony of ironies; running a campaign based upon the theme that New York City was a “Tale of Two Cities,” Bill DeBlasio won a primary victory which appeared to have refuted this very premise

As I reported previously, the breadth and depth of DeBlasio’s victory can only be described as a  landslide of almost breathtaking proportions. 

 Let us review.

DeBlasio beat his nearest opponent by nearly 15 percentage points and by over 100,000 votes. He carried every Borough. Of the City’s 65 Assembly Districts, DeBlasio ran first in 55 of them, and ran second in the ten ADs which he lost.

Of these 65 Districts, 14 had black majorities in the 2010 census. DeBlasio carried all 14 of them, in a contest where his strongest opponent was a black man. 16 Districts had Hispanic majorities in the 2010 census and DeBlasio carried 14 of them, and ran a close second in the others. DeBlasio also won the three districts which had a Hispanic plurality. Five seats had non-white majorities, but white pluralities; DeBlasio won them all. 22 seats had a white majority in the 2010 census and DeBlasio ran first in 17 of them and ran second in the others. Three seats had Asian Majorities in the 2010 census; DeBlasio ran second to an Asian candidate in all of them and won both seats which had Asian pluralities.

So, it would appear that, perhaps for the first time since we’ve had a contested primary election for Mayor, New York has proven itself to be one City united by a common vision.

But appearances can be deceiving.

Continue reading at Room Gate.

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