1983 Philadelphia mayoral election
Turnout63.17% of registered voters Increase 3 pp
42.48% of total population[1]
 
Nominee Wilson Goode John Egan Thomas Leonard
Party Democratic Republican Independent
Popular vote 396,266 263,742 57,146
Percentage 55.26% 36.78% 7.97%
Mayor before election

William J. Green III
Democratic

 Elected Mayor

Wilson Goode
Democratic

The 1983 Philadelphia mayoral election saw the election of Wilson Goode.

Goode won the Democratic nomination by defeating former mayor Frank Rizzo, as well as several minor candidates, in the Democratic primary.

Goode was elected the first African American mayor of Philadelphia.

Background

Before the election, a total of eighteen black mayors had been elected in United States cities with populations above 100,000.[2]

At the time, there were incumbent black mayors in three of the other five United States cities with populations above 1 million people, Los Angeles (Tom Bradley), Chicago (Harold Washington), and Detroit (Coleman Young).[2][3]

No Republican, and only Democrats, had been elected mayor since after the 1947 Philadelphia mayoral election.[2]

At the time, blacks made up roughly 39% of registered voters in the city. White voters still outnumbered black voters 2 to 1.[4]

Registered Democrats outnumbered registered Republicans in the city by 4 to 1.[4]

Democratic primary

Goode positioned himself as a candidate that could unite the city.[2] This contrasted with many voters' perception that Rizzo had divided the city along racial and ethnic lines.[2]

Goode was fresh-faced, with this being his first campaign for elected office.[2] He was also perceived as an efficient public servant.[2]

In the primary, more than 30% of white voters cast their votes for Goode.[2]

Race never became a major topic of the campaign.[2]

The race saw a record total of votes cast for a Democratic primary.[2]

Ron Brown, the deputy chairman of the Democratic National Committee, appeared at Goode's primary election night victory party at the Philadelphia Convention Center to promise the national party's support for the general election.[2] The victory party was also attended by black mayors from other United States cities, including Marion Barry of Washington, D.C.[2]

Candidates

Declared

  • George G. Britt, Jr., management consultant and perennial candidate
  • Anthony G. Bateman, attorney and former assistant district attorney
  • Stephen S. Douglas, former aide to Lyndon LaRouche and candidate for governor in 1980
  • Wilson Goode, Philadelphia managing director
  • Frank Lomento, pretzel vendor and perennial candidate
  • Frank Rizzo, former mayor

Withdrew

  • Thomas A. Leonard III, Philadelphia Register of Wills (to run as an independent)

Results

Philadelphia mayoral Democratic primary, 1983
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Wilson Goode 329,653 52.73%
Democratic Frank Rizzo 270,236 43.22%
Democratic Frank Lomento 18,947 3.03%
Democratic Stephen S. Douglas 3,006 0.48%
Democratic Anthony Bateman 2,920 0.47%
Democratic George Britt 439 0.07%
Turnout 625,201

Republican primary

Candidates

Declared

Results

Philadelphia mayoral Republican primary, 1983
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican John Egan 38,920 45.30%
Republican Charles F. Dougherty 25,413 29.58%
Republican Tom Gola 21,581 25.25%

Independents and third parties

Independent

  • Thomas A. Leonard III, Philadelphia Register of Wills

General election

Goode was able to project a managerial image for himself, and was able to make an image that was "nonthreatening" to white voters.[4]

Results

Exit polling indicated that Goode received 98% of the support in black neighborhoods.[4] An examination of sample voting districts indicated that Goode received between 27 and 28% of the vote in white neighborhoods.[4] It was argued that a white candidate with the same credentials as Goode would likely have received 55% of the vote in the white neighborhoods.[4]

1983 Philadelphia mayoral election (general election)[5]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Wilson Goode 396,266 55.26%
Republican John Egan 263,742 36.78%
Independent Thomas Leonard 57,146 7.97%
Turnout 717,154

References

  1. ↑ Denvir, Daniel (May 22, 2015). "Voter Turnout in U.S. Mayoral Elections Is Pathetic, But It Wasn't Always This Way". City Lab. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Overbea, Luix (May 19, 1983). "Goode tops Rizzo in Philadelphia primary, sets out to unite Democrats". Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
  3. ↑ "Population of the 20 Largest U.S. Cities, 1900–2012". www.infoplease.com. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Robbins, William (November 10, 1983). "Election of Black Mayor in Philadelphia Reflects a Decade of Change in City". The New York Times. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  5. ↑ "Mayors of the City of Philadelphia 1691-2000". City of Philadelphia. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
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