Lawsuit Filed Against Bloomberg's Bid For 3rd Term

"In the United States, the right to vote is a fundamental right and votes have consequences," the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn said. "This bedrock democratic principle does not crumble in the face of a weakened economy, nor should it be violated for the direct benefit of specific individual elected officials."

A wide spectrum of New Yorkers from city councilmembers to lawyers to voters in both parties are working together to put a stop to Mayor Michael Bloomberg's attempt to stay in office for a third term.

The broadest legal attack yet on Bloomberg's bid for a third term came Monday when the coalition ganged together and sued the city, saying another term would be unconstitutional without letting the public vote on the issue for a third time.

Twice before, in 1993 and 1996, New Yorkers have decided they wanted term limits to keep New York City mayors from serving more than two four-year terms. The last mayor to do so was Ed Koch, who stepped down in 1989.

Bloomberg, a billionaire businessman, has said he wants to seek a third term in next year's election so he can use his financial background to help the city navigate the fallout from the economic crisis.