"Edward Koch" redirects here. For the Australian medical practitioner known for his research of malaria, see Edward Albert Koch.
Ed Koch
Koch in 1979
105th Mayor of New York City
In office January 1, 1978 – December 31, 1989
Preceded by
Abraham Beame
Succeeded by
David Dinkins
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York
In office January 3, 1969 – December 31, 1977
Preceded by
Theodore Kupferman
Succeeded by
Bill Green
Constituency
17th district (1969–1973)
18th district (1973–1977)
Member of the New York City Council from the 2nd district
In office January 1, 1967 – January 3, 1969
Preceded by
Woodward Kingman
Succeeded by
Carol Greitzer
Personal details
Born
Edward Irving Koch
(1924-12-12)December 12, 1924 New York City, U.S.
Died
February 1, 2013(2013-02-01) (aged 88) New York City, U.S.
Political party
Democratic
Education
City College of New York (BA)
New York University (LLB)
Signature
Military service
Branch/service
United States Army
Years of service
1943–1946
Rank
Sergeant
Unit
104th Infantry Division
Battles/wars
World War II
Battle of Hürtgen Forest
Battle of the Bulge
Awards
Combat Infantryman Badge
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal
World War II Victory Medal
Edward Irving Koch (/kɒtʃ/KOTCH;[1] December 12, 1924 – February 1, 2013) was an American politician, lawyer, political commentator, film critic, and television personality. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1969 to 1977 and was mayor of New York City from 1978 to 1989.
Koch was a lifelong Democrat who described himself as a "liberal with sanity".[2] The author of an ambitious public housing renewal program in his later years as mayor, he began by cutting spending and taxes and cutting 7,000 employees from the city payroll. As a congressman and after his terms as the second Jewish mayor of New York City (after Abraham Beame),[a][citation needed] Koch was a fervent supporter of Israel. He crossed party lines to endorse Rudy Giuliani for mayor of New York City in 1993, Al D'Amato for Senate in 1998, Michael Bloomberg for mayor of New York City in 2001, and George W. Bush for president in 2004.[3]
A popular figure, Koch rode the New York City Subway and stood at street corners greeting passersby with the slogan "How'm I doin'?"[4] He was a lifelong bachelor, had no children and did not come out as gay during his lifetime.[5] A 2022 New York Times article posthumously identified him as gay.[5]
Koch was first elected mayor of New York City in 1977 and was re-elected in 1981 with 75% of the vote. He was the first New York City mayor to win endorsement on both the Democratic and Republican party tickets. In 1985, Koch was elected to a third term with 78% of the vote. His third term was fraught with scandal regarding political associates (although the scandal never touched him personally) and with racial tensions, including the killings of Michael Griffith and Yusuf Hawkins. In a close race, Koch lost the 1989 Democratic primary to his successor, David Dinkins.[3]
^"Koch". Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
^"Mayor Koch, Self-Proclaimed 'Liberal With Sanity' Who Led New York From Fiscal Crisis, Is Dead at 88". The New York Sun. Retrieved October 21, 2016.
^ abSmith, Benjamin (February 1, 2013). "Mayor Koch, Self-Proclaimed 'Liberal With Sanity' Who Led New York From Fiscal Crisis, Is Dead at 88". New York Sun.
^"New York City Mayor Ed Koch: From Time's Archives". Time. February 1, 2013. Retrieved October 15, 2014.
^ abFlegenheimer, Matt; Goldensohn, Rosa (May 7, 2022). "The Secrets Ed Koch Carried". New York Times. Archived from the original on May 7, 2022. Retrieved May 7, 2022.
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Edward Irving Koch (/kɒtʃ/ KOTCH; December 12, 1924 – February 1, 2013) was an American politician, lawyer, political commentator, film critic, and television...
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became a television arbitrator when he replaced former New York City Mayor EdKoch as the presiding judge on The People’s Court in the fall of 1999. This...
toward services. He was criticized for greatly enlarging the city's debt. EdKoch served as mayor of New York City from 1978 to 1989, a total of 11 years...
1992–1994—under David Dinkins Basil Paterson 1978—under EdKoch Herman Badillo 1977–1979—under EdKoch Robert W. Sweet 1966–1969—under John Lindsay Charles...
near bankruptcy, the arson for insurance payments, and the election of EdKoch as mayor. The 1981 film Fort Apache, The Bronx is another film that used...
was elected mayor of New York City, defeating three-term incumbent mayor EdKoch and two others in the Democratic primary and Republican nominee Rudy Giuliani...
Representative EdKoch, New York Secretary of State Mario Cuomo, and feminist activist and former Representative Bella Abzug for the Democratic nomination. Koch won...
Fiorello H. La Guardia (1934–1945), Robert F. Wagner Jr. (1954–1965), EdKoch (1978–1989) and Michael Bloomberg (2002–2013), each of whom was in office...
David Hamilton Koch (/koʊk/ KOHK; May 3, 1940 – August 23, 2019) was an American businessman, political activist, philanthropist, and chemical engineer...
1977, and finished third in the Democratic primary, behind Representative EdKoch and New York Secretary of State Mario Cuomo, and ahead of former Representative...
City mayoral election was held on Tuesday, November 7. Incumbent Mayor EdKoch, who had served since 1978, ran for an unprecedented fourth term in office...
(lost to EdKoch); unsuccessful Liberal Party of New York candidate in general election for mayor of New York City (1977), again losing to EdKoch; Lieutenant...
Olyphant in his feature film debut; cameo appearances include Gloria Steinem, EdKoch, Kathie Lee Gifford, and Ivana Trump. The film became a surprise box-office...
and 1970s. Myerson was a frequent public companion of then-Congressman EdKoch throughout the late 1970s and the beginning of his mayoral ambitions, and...
People's Court returned to the air in 1997, and aired until July 2023. EdKoch, former mayor of New York City, served as judge from September 1997 until...
Representative EdKoch finished first with 19.81% of the vote and Cuomo came second with 18.74%. As no candidate cleared 40% of the vote, Koch and Cuomo advanced...
incumbent Mayor EdKoch being re-elected to a third term by a landslide margin. Koch received an overwhelming 78.02% of the vote citywide. Koch also swept...
TV Producer, Dies at 85". New York Times. Retrieved September 11, 2015. EdKoch, Desert Inn, Stardust chief helped integrate Las Vegas Strip, Las Vegas...
later elected into the Senate. The earliest known LGBT congressperson was EdKoch, who began his term in the House in 1969. The earliest known LGBT senator...
of their respective parties' primaries. Cuomo had unexpectedly defeated EdKoch, the Mayor of New York City, to win the Democratic nomination. Cuomo was...
April 1973, by American politician, lawyer, and political commentator Rep. EdKoch (D-NY), who, in response to U.S. Senator Lowell P. Weicker Jr.'s indicating...
Kramer loudly insisted they fight for funding from New York City. Mayor EdKoch became a particular target for Kramer, as did the behavior of gay men,...
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