The WFB Legacy — Mayoral Race

Buckley’s run for mayor was a public display of all the elements that made Buckley such a captivating and powerful figure — especially his skill for robust debate, for fighting back against a biased media, and for forging the possibility of an influential conservative political movement even in a losing campaign. By the end of the 1950s, Buckley believed that conservatives had yet to persuade the public about the dangers of the welfare state and the validity of conservative principles. Thus, conservatives needed to develop a working coalition.

First, the New York Conservative Party was founded in 1962 by Dan Mahoney and Kieran O’Doherty, along with Buckley, his older brother James, and National Review’s Frank Meyer. At the end of May 1965, Bill wrote a syndicated column entitled, “Mayor, Anyone?” In it, he asked, “You and I are not in fact running for mayor. But suppose we were?” A few days later, as National Review prepared to reprint the column, Buckley’s older sister Priscilla, the magazine’s managing editor, proposed a playful cover banner: “Buckley for Mayor.” The column outlined, “half in fun,” a ten-point plan for conservative governance of New York City, addressing everything from crime to traffic, labor unions and gambling, taxis, welfare, race, drugs, education to the minimum wage.

About the Author

National Review Institute

National Review Institute was founded by William F. Buckley Jr. as a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) charitable organization in 1991.

Buckley’s run for mayor was a public display of all the elements that made Buckley such a captivating and powerful figure — especially his skill for robust debate, for fighting back against a biased media, and for forging the possibility of an influential conservative political movement even in a losing campaign. By the end of the 1950s, Buckley believed that conservatives had yet to persuade the public about the dangers of the welfare state and the validity of conservative principles. Thus, conservatives needed to develop a working coalition.

First, the New York Conservative Party was founded in 1962 by Dan Mahoney and Kieran O’Doherty, along with Buckley, his older brother James, and National Review’s Frank Meyer. At the end of May 1965, Bill wrote a syndicated column entitled, “Mayor, Anyone?” In it, he asked, “You and I are not in fact running for mayor. But suppose we were?” A few days later, as National Review prepared to reprint the column, Buckley’s older sister Priscilla, the magazine’s managing editor, proposed a playful cover banner: “Buckley for Mayor.” The column outlined, “half in fun,” a ten-point plan for conservative governance of New York City, addressing everything from crime to traffic, labor unions and gambling, taxis, welfare, race, drugs, education to the minimum wage.