New York City has had Mayors who have sought the Presidency, but never has a NYC Mayor reached the White House.
With the announcement by present NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio of him becoming number 23 to run for the White House, this is a good time to look back at failed runs for the White House by NYC Mayors, and the history of other Mayors who have run for President.
DeWitt Clinton was the Federalist nominee for President in 1812 against President James Madison, but lost.
John Lindsay switched from the Republican to Democratic Party in 1972, but lost early in the process and withdrew his candidacy by April.
Rudy Giuliani was leading in polls in 2007 as a potential Republican nominee, but flopped badly and withdrew in January 2008.
Michael Bloomberg, a Republican, then an Independent, then a Democrat, considered announcing in 2016 and 2020, but decided not to at the present time, due to Joe Biden entering the race with similar views.
Additionally, a future President ran for Mayor of NYC in 1886 as a Republican, and ended up third, and yet went on to the White House, and that was Theodore Roosevelt.
Additionally, we have former Buffalo, New York Mayor and New York Governor Grover Cleveland who went on to the Presidency in 1884.
Other Mayors who ran for the Presidency include:
Hubert Humphrey of Minneapolis, Minnesota, who went on to the Senate and Vice Presidency, but lost the Presidential election of 1968 to Richard Nixon.
Sam Yorty of Los Angeles, who ran for the Democratic nomination unsuccessfully in 1972.
Dennis Kucinich of Cleveland, Ohio, who also served in Congress, and was a Democratic candidate unsuccessfully in 2004 and 2008.
Martin O’Malley of Baltimore, Maryland, who also served as Maryland Governor, and ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination in 2016.
Additionally, two Presidents who succeeded after the death of the incumbent President, had served as Mayors of small cities–Andrew Johnson as Greeneville, Tennessee Mayor; and Calvin Coolidge as Northampton, Massachusetts Mayor, and was successful in winning his own term as President in 1924.
And now, of course, we have four former Mayors running in the Democratic Presidential competition:
Cory Booker of Newark, New Jersey
Julian Castro of San Antonio, Texas
John Hickenlooper of Denver, Colorado
Bernie Sanders of Burlington, Vermont
We also have three sitting Mayors now running for the Democratic nomination:
Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana
Bill de Blasio of New York City
Wayne Messam of Miramar, Florida