The 1969 NYC GOP mayoral primary, a contest between Incumbent Liberal Republican Mayor John Lindsay and Conservative Republican State Senator John Marchi was one that told the longstanding and increasingly common tale of the GOP's primary electorate.
A moderate throughout his term, Lindsay was not without controversy as the 1967 Riots, along with other racially charged incidents occurred during his mayoralty.
Now, while he was generally thought to have handled them well, the riots themselves prompted a backlash by the majority Italian/Irish electorate of the GOP primary, resulting in Lindsay - the face of the response - suffering a penalty from the conservative electorate.
After his loss in the Primary the NY GOP remained fractured, with the chairman - Charles Lanigan - wholeheartedly endorsing Marchi, but the State's Senators - Jacob Javits and Charles Goodell - endorsed the defeated Mayor in his third party bid.
However, in part due to the racial backlash also allowing conservative Italian-American Democrat Mario Procaccino to win that party's Nomination, Lindsey was able to fight and win a second term under the Liberal party banner in 1969.