Incumbent mayor Robert F. Wagner Jr. was decisively re-elected to a third term in office, defeating Attorney General of New York Louis J. Lefkowitz and City Comptroller Lawrence E. Gerosa.

[4] In January 1961, tensions with DeSapio and Tammany Hall came to a head when Manhattan Borough president Hulan Jack was convicted of an attempt to solicit a bribe and automatically removed from his position.

The vacant post was formally filled by a vote of Manhattan's six City Council members, but historically, the selection was de facto made by Tammany.

[5] Wagner's choice was state Supreme Court Justice Edward R. Dudley while DeSapio selected Assemblyman Lloyd Dickens, an old opponent.

[7] The final break occurred in early February, when Wagner publicly called for DeSapio to stand down as New York County Democratic Party chair.

[10] On June 30, two days after the Liberals voted to endorse Wagner, Tammany selected State Comptroller Arthur Levitt Sr., who was the only Democrat to win statewide in a heavily Republican year.

[11] The Liberal Party had won few elections outright but were able to provide sufficient votes to allow John F. Kennedy to carry New York state in 1960 and still had an automatic line on the ballot.

[9] Despite these private assurances, Republicans, including Bernard Newman, were interested in running a fusion campaign with the Liberals, similar to how Fiorello La Guardia ran with the American Labor Party's nomination.

Scheftel held no elected office but had previously run as a Republican for Congress in the 14th district and chaired the Draft Eisenhower for President Committee in 1948.

[16] Liberals Adolf A. Berle and Ben Davidson served on the steering committee of Wagner's campaign while Alex Rose was one of his close advisers.