Phil mentioned that John Lindsay, ultimately a party switcher was the last Republican elected (back in the sixties) in NYC prior to Rudy.
It may be worth remembering that Lindsay was so far removed from any suggestion of conservatism, William F. Buckley felt the need to run against him as the Conservative party candidate.
Buckley, of course, got a stunning 13.4% of the vote. Even better, we got the fabulous Buckley book on the event, titled The Unmaking of a Mayor.
Lindsay, I feel compelled to add, won anyway!
