Billionaire Michael Bloomberg has narrowly won a third term as New York City mayor.
With 96 per cent of precincts reporting, Bloomberg was leading Democrat William Thompson Jr - 50.5 per cent to 46.2 per cent.
The richest man in New York fended off Thompson, who had tried to stoke voter resentment over the way Bloomberg changed the city's term-limits law so he could stay in office.Thompson won support in black and Hispanic neighbourhoods. This was despite Bloomberg spending more than $US100 million ($A110.7 million) on the most expensive self-financed campaign in US history.
Thompson relied on donations and matching funds for his mayoral bid and probably spent about one-tenth of Bloomberg's total.Bloomberg's margin of victory was far smaller than his nearly 20-point blowout in 2005.
