Editing Michael Bloomberg (section)

==== 2001 election ====
{{Main|2001 New York City mayoral election}}

In 2001, New York's Republican mayor [[Rudy Giuliani]], was ineligible for re-election due to the city's limit of two consecutive terms. Bloomberg, who had been a lifelong member of the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]], decided to run for mayor on the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] ticket.<ref name="2001 election">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/11/08/nyregion/the-2001-elections-strategy-as-democrats-bicker-bloomberg-era-begins.html |access-date=February 15, 2020 |newspaper=The New York Times |first=Adam |last=Nagourney |title=The 2001 Elections: Strategy; As Democrats Bicker, Bloomberg Era Begins |date=November 8, 2001 |url-access=limited}}</ref> Voting in the primary began on the morning of September 11, 2001. The primary was postponed later that day, due to the [[September 11 attacks]]. In the rescheduled primary, Bloomberg defeated [[Herman Badillo]], a former Democratic [[United States House of Representatives|congressman]], to become the Republican nominee. After a [[Two-round system|runoff]], the Democratic nomination went to [[New York City Public Advocate]] [[Mark Green (New York politician)|Mark Green]].

Bloomberg received Giuliani's endorsement to succeed him in the 2001 election. He also had a huge campaign spending advantage. Although New York City's [[Campaign finance in the United States|campaign finance]] law restricts the total amount of contributions that a candidate can accept, Bloomberg chose not to use public funds and therefore his campaign was not subject to these restrictions. He spent $73&nbsp;million of his own money on his campaign, outspending Green by a ratio of five to one.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ideas_opinions/story/143966p-127415c.html |title=Mike's Wrong, Campaign Fixes Make Sense |work=[[Daily News (New York)|Daily News]] |location=New York |author=Russianoff, Gene |date=December 9, 2003 |archive-date=January 5, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060105025803/http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ideas_opinions/story/143966p-127415c.html|author-link=Gene Russianoff |url-status=dead}}</ref>

In the wake of the September 11 attacks, Bloomberg's administration made a successful bid to host the [[2004 Republican National Convention]]. The [[2004 Republican National Convention protest activity|convention drew thousands of protesters]], among them New Yorkers against [[George W. Bush]] and the Bush administration's pursuit of the [[Iraq War]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-aug-30-na-bloomberg30-story.html|title=Bloomberg Walks a Fine Line as Host|date=August 30, 2004|website=Los Angeles Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Bloomberg Makes City's Bid For 2004 G.O.P. Convention |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/06/18/nyregion/bloomberg-makes-city-s-bid-for-2004-gop-convention.html |website=The New York Times |first=Raymond |last=Hernandez |date=June 18, 2002 |url-access=limited}}</ref>