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Progressive de Blasio sweeps to New York victory

Union-backed Democrat vows to tackle city's vast inequality

Democratic candidate Bill de Blasio romped home as New York City mayor in Tuesday's election, thumping far-right Republican candidate Joe Lhota by grabbing 73 per cent of votes cast.

New Yorkers held their nerve in the face of a hysterical campaign by the right-wing media which denounced Mr de Blasio as a communist because of his work in Nicaragua as an aid worker and supporter of the Sandinista government 30 years ago.

The mayor-elect, who has referred to himself as a democratic socialist, based his campaign on tackling New York's inequalities, speaking of a "tale of two cities."

Although the city has a reputation of backing the Democratic Party, Mr de Blasio is the first to win the mayor's job on its ticket since David Dinkins triumphed in 1989.

"Today you spoke loudly and clearly for a new direction for our city," he told supporters at a victory rally in Brooklyn where he lives.

Communist Party USA website People's World called the victor an "inconsistent progressive," pointing out that he has often supported property developers over working people.

However, he was backed by the city's biggest union SEIU 1199 and other labour movement organisations and drew enthusiastic support for his proposal to provide preschool education for all children by taxing Wall Street and the rich.

Mr de Blasio enraged Mr Lhota, who was characterised as a representative of the city's 1 per cent, by throwing his weight behind a plan to increase the local living wage to $11.75 (£7.30) an hour.

Outgoing billionaire mayor Michael Bloomberg recently vetoed a city council proposal in favour of a $10-an-hour figure.

The living wage will not apply to all workers, being restricted to those employed by private companies in receipt of tax subsidies or other corporate subsidies from the city council.

Fast-food and other low-paid workers who have been taking concerted industrial action across the US over the past year have a target of a $15 (£9.30) an hour as a living wage.

Democrats also captured two other citywide posts up for grabs, with Letitia James elected public advocate and Scott Stringer taking over as comptroller.

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