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Ed Koch

Ed Koch
Edward Koch at commissioning of USS Lake Champlain (CG-57) cropped.jpg
Koch in August 1988
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's 18th district
In office
January 3, 1973 – December 31, 1977
Preceded by Charles Rangel
Succeeded by Bill Green
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New York's 17th district
In office
January 3, 1969 – January 3, 1973
Preceded by Theodore Kupferman
Succeeded by John Murphy
Personal details
Born Edward Irving Koch
(1924-12-12)December 12, 1924
The Bronx, New York City, U.S.
Died February 1, 2013(2013-02-01) (aged 88)
Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
Political party Democratic
Alma mater City College of New York
New York University
Religion Judaism
Awards
Signature
Military service
Allegiance United States of America
Service/branch Seal of the United States Department of War.png United States Army
Years of service 1943–1946
Rank US Army WWII SGT.svg Sergeant
Unit 104TrngDivLdrTrngDUILeft.jpg 104th Infantry Division
Battles/wars

World War II


World War II

Edward Irving "Ed" Koch (/ˈkɒ/KOTCH; December 12, 1924 – February 1, 2013) was an American lawyer, politician, political commentator, movie critic and reality television arbitrator. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1969 to 1977 and three terms as mayor of New York City from 1978 to 1990.

Koch was a lifelong Democrat who described himself as a "liberal with sanity". 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 from the city payroll. As a congressman and after his terms as mayor he was a fervent supporter of the State of Israel. He crossed party lines to endorse Rudy Giuliani for mayor in 1993, Michael Bloomberg in 2001, and President George W. Bush in 2004.

A popular figure, he rode the New York City Subway and stood at street corners greeting passersby with the slogan "How'm I doin'?" His private life was enigmatic, with speculation about his sexuality, which he rebuffed, calling it a private matter: he had no children, and refused to publicly discuss his romantic relationships, but declared that he was heterosexual after his retirement. He won re-election in 1981 with 75 percent, the first New York City mayor to win endorsement on both the Democratic and Republican party tickets. He won his second re-election with 78 percent of the vote. His third term was fraught with scandal regarding political associates, although it never touched him personally, and with racial tensions, including the murder of Yusuf Hawkins a month before a fourth primary, which he lost in a close race to New York City's first black mayor, David Dinkins.


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