In 1969, a backlash against Lindsay caused him to lose the Republican mayoral primary to state Senator John J. Marchi, who was enthusiastically supported by Buckley and the party's conservative wing. In the Democratic primary, the most conservative candidate, City Comptroller Mario Procaccino, defeated several more liberal contenders and won the nomination with only a plurality of the votes. "The more the Mario", he quipped. Procaccino, who ran to Lindsay's right, went on to coin the term "limousine liberal" to describe Lindsay and his wealthy Manhattan backers. Despite losing the Republican nomination, Lindsay remained on the ballot as the candidate of the New York Liberal Party.
You have less than NO idea how many different party lines are on a NYC ballot, nor how many lines a candidate can and DO run on! Just give it up; you are trusting teensy bits that you found on line, without understanding any of it, to argue with REAL New Yorkers who know and understand what they’re talking about...not to mention the fact that one person, ME, actually knew Lindsay before and after he went nutso lefty!