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1983 Chicago mayoral election

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1983 Chicago mayoral election
← 1979 April 12, 1983 1987 →
Turnout82.07%[1] Increase 21.7 pp
 
Nominee Harold Washington Bernard Epton
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 668,176 619,926
Percentage 51.72% 47.99%
Washington:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90%
Epton:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90%
     No votes
Mayor before election

Jane Byrne
Democratic

Elected Mayor

Harold Washington
Democratic

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The Chicago mayoral election of 1983 was first the primary on February 22, 1983, which was followed by the general on April 12, 1983. The election saw the election of Chicago's first African-American mayor, Harold Washington.

Incumbent Mayor Jane Byrne, who had served since April 16, 1979, faced a primary challenge from Cook County State’s Attorney Richard M. Daley and from Harold Washington. Washington defeated Byrne and Dailey in the Democratic primary in February 1983, winning by nearly 3 points.

In the general election, Washington would face off against Republican nominee Bernard Epton. Though initially thought to be a longshot, backlash to Washington among white voters propelled Epton's candidacy, creating a closer race. Washington would end up winning with a 3.7% lead over Epton in a high turnout election.

Nominations

The Democratic Party and Republican Party held their primaries on February 22.[2] 77.5% of registered voters voted in the primaries.[3] This was very high turnout for Chicago mayoral primaries.[4]

Democratic primary

Campaign

Washington holds a press conference at the Hyatt Regency Chicago on December 13, 1982.

Since winning an upset victory in the 1979 Democratic primary and a landslide victory in that year's general election, Jane Byrne had had a tumultuous term as mayor.[5] Nevertheless, she had secured support for her re-nomination from 33 of the city's aldermen.[5] A three-way race emerged between Byrne, congressman Harold Washington, and Cook County State's Attorney Richard M. Daley (the son of former mayor Richard J. Daley).[5] Two months ahead of the primary, the Democratic Party organization endorsed Byrne.[6] Of the candidates, Byrne's campaign had the most funds, raising more than $3 million.[5] She had been spending much of her funds very early on television commercials to overhaul her image, attempting to transform her image to that of a steady and serious figure who had straightened out what had been a chaotic city government.[5] While Byrne had previously, in 1979, presented herself as a protegee of former mayor Richard J. Daley, she now blamed him for many of the city's financial shortcomings.[5] Daley's own son Richard M. Daley capitalized off a desire which many Chicagoans held (despite Byrne's criticisms) to return to what they perceived to have been comparatively stable years which the city had experienced under Richard J. Daley's leadership.[5] However, the younger Daley struggled with a perception that he was a lightweight compared to his father.[5] There was also a perception at the time that the younger Daley held an inferior intellect to those of his opponents.[5] When Daley officially launched his campaign in September 1982, polls showed him ahead of or tied with Byrne.[7] A voting bloc which was sought after were the independent-leaning Democrats often called "lakefront liberals".[5] They had backed Byrne in her 1979 primary, but were hesitant to back her again.[5]

Much of the city's white electorate was split between Byrne and Daley.[8][9] The fact that neither Byrne nor Daley were able to consolidate the white electorate around their candidacy provided Washington an opportunity to win a plurality of the overall vote.[8] While Washington was anticipated to do well among African-American voters, he would not have been able to capture the nomination on African-American support alone.[5] The Democratic Party leadership itself sought to block Washington's victory. Chairman Edward Vrdolyak was alleged to have encouraged voters to back Byrne, warning that a vote for Daley was a vote for Washington.[10] In the closing days of the campaign, Byrne was on the defense, particularly from attacks being lodged by Daley.[10] Daley, meanwhile, was struggling to convince voters that he was no longer in third place.[10] Washington entered the television ad campaign later than the other candidates, citing only having barely $1 million to spend on his campaign.[11] Byrne spent a total of $10 million on her campaign,[11] $5 million more than her 1979 campaign. Daley won the endorsements of both of the city's major newspapers.[12]

The Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times both endorsed Daley.[13]

Endorsements

Jane Byrne
Federal officials
State officials
Local officials
Newspapers and publications
Richard M. Daley
Executive officials
Federal officials
State officials
Newspapers and publications
Harold Washington
Federal officials
Individuals

Results

Result map by ward

The election was held on Tuesday, February 22, 1983.[5] Turnout was 77.5%.[1] Washington received 36.3% of the citywide vote[11] and roughly 80% of the African-American vote.[11][24] 1.2 million Chicagoans went to polls to cast their ballot, noted then as the largest turnout since 25 years earlier in 1958.[11] Mayor Byrne had 33.6% of the citywide vote and Daley came in third place with 29.7%. The election saw a record-setting 69% of registered African-American voter turnout.[11]

1983 Chicago Democratic Party Mayoral Primary
Candidate Votes % +/-
Harold Washington 424,324 36.3% N/A
Jane Byrne (incumbent) 393,500 33.6% -17.4%
Richard M. Daley 346,835 29.7% N/A
Frank R. Ranallo 2,367 0.2% N/A
William Markowski 1,412 0.1% N/A
Sheila Jones 1,285 0.1% N/A
Majority 30,824 2.6% +0.6%
Total 1,169,723 100% N/A

Republican primary

Former State Representative Bernard Epton won the Republican nomination.[5] Epton had reluctantly run after being urged by party leaders.[25] Governor James Thompson had even personally called Epton, offering his campaign staff to help out.[26] Epton was the only established figure who agreed to seek the nomination, and had all but formally secured the nomination at party meetings in November.[27] Chicago had not elected a Republican mayor in 56 years (since the 1927 Chicago mayoral election).[5] At the time, Chicago had no Republican aldermen on its City Council.[5] While Chicago was regarded as overwhelmingly Democratic, it was hoped by many Republicans that if Washington were nominated by the Democrats, many white voters would vote for the Republican nominee.[5] Epton stated, "Chicago has been regarded for too long as a Democratic stronghold. It's about time we change that image."[5] Epton was ultimately unopposed on the Republican primary ballot[28] after candidates Ralph G. Medly,[29] William Arthur Murray,[30] and Raymond Wardingley[31] saw their names removed from the ballot due to issues with their petitions. Wardingly had been a candidate in the previous election's primary. During the primary, Epton raised $41,000, of which almost entirely came from self-donations or donations from family.[32]

Independent candidates

Ed Warren ran as an independent candidate.

General election

Campaigning

In the days after Washington's primary victory, a backlash began to emerge among white voters. In the days after, Republican Party headquarters were filled with volunteers.[33][34]A week afterward, Epton's rallies were attended by people wearing bags with "Unknown Democrats for Epton" written on them.[35] Moreover, Democratic Alderman were reticent to support Washington. Alderman Aloysius Majerczyk endorsed Epton, and other white aldermen followed, implicitly or explicitly.[36] In spite of this, Epton promised to not make race an issue.[37] He vowed not to make personal attacks and spoke highly of Washington whom he had served in the state legislature with.[38]

James Fletcher, who ran James R. Thompson's first successful gubernatorial campaign, became Epton's general election campaign manager. High-profile figures such as Republican Senator Paul Laxalt (chairman of the RNC) campaigned for Epton.[39] The race was particularly competitive, with some newspapers characterizing it as a "tossup".[40] Epton was polling double what a Republican typically polled in Chicago mayoral races.[41] The race also grew very bitter, as the last weeks of the campaign saw various attacks from Epton's campaign, including the slogan "Epton- Before it's too late," which capitalized on the fears of white voters.[42]

Byrne briefly explored running as a write-in candidate during the general election, before dropping the idea due to a number of complicating factors.[2][43]

The Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times both endorsed Washington.[13]

Endorsements

Bernard Epton
Federal officials
Local officials
Harold Washington
Federal officials
State officials
Newspapers and publications

Results

The election saw a massive voter turnout, with more than 82 percent of eligible voters casting ballots.[1] This race had one of the highest turnouts in Chicago history.[49]

Mayor of Chicago 1983[50] (general election)
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Harold Washington 668,176 51.72
Republican Bernard Epton 619,926 47.99
Independent Ed Warren 3,756 0.29
Turnout 1,291,858

Results by ward

Washington's coalition of voters consisted of the city's African American population with the additional support of "lakefront liberals" and the city's Latino community. Therefore, he performed best in heavily black wards, as well as lakeshore wards and heavily Latino wards.[51] In black wards, turnout was no lower than 73% and Washington garnered around 97% of the black vote.[52]

Epton carried a plurality of the vote in 28 of the city's 50 wards, while Washington carried a plurality of the vote in 22 wards.[53][51]

Ward[53] Harold Washington
(Democratic Party)		 Bernard Epton
(Republican Party)		 Ed Warren
(Socialist Workers Party)		 Total
Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes
1 13,026 62.4% 7,777 37.3% 65 0.3% 20,868
2 22,738 97.4% 558 2.4% 42 0.2% 23,338
3 24,470 99.1% 178 0.7% 48 0.2% 24,696
4 24,420 92.3% 1,981 7.5% 70 0.3% 26,471
5 24,729 90.8% 2,455 9.0% 45 0.2% 27,229
6 34,727 99.2% 240 0.7% 43 0.1% 35,010
7 17,293 81.9% 3,771 17.9% 45 0.2% 21,109
8 31,095 98.5% 457 1.4% 28 0.1% 31,580
9 23,979 93.9% 1,518 5.9% 29 0.1% 25,526
10 10,103 33.9% 19,609 65.8% 94 0.3% 29,806
11 7,186 25.8% 20,515 73.8% 98 0.4% 27,799
12 3,836 15.4% 21,042 84.2% 99 0.4% 24,977
13 1,457 4.0% 34,856 95.7% 100 0.3% 36,413
14 3,864 16.1% 20,095 83.5% 94 0.4% 24,053
15 15,949 60.3% 10,451 39.5% 62 0.2% 26,462
16 25,646 98.9% 221 0.9% 56 0.2% 25,923
17 29,233 99.1% 205 0.7% 53 0.2% 29,491
18 14,889 43.7% 19,081 56.0% 79 0.2% 34,049
19 7,045 20.0% 28,072 79.7% 105 0.3% 35,222
20 25,701 99.0% 220 0.8% 40 0.2% 25,961
21 32,967 99.1% 275 0.8% 32 0.1% 33,274
22 4,674 51.9% 4,279 47.5% 46 0.5% 8,999
23 1,373 4.1% 32,399 95.6% 101 0.3% 33,873
24 24,259 99.2% 129 0.5% 63 0.3% 24,451
25 5,925 49.1% 6,099 50.5% 51 0.4% 12,075
26 7,449 45.5% 8,823 53.9% 96 0.6% 16,368
27 20,706 92.7% 1,577 7.1% 58 0.3% 22,341
28 22,335 98.6% 224 1.0% 103 0.5% 22,662
29 19,882 92.7% 1,530 7.1% 43 0.2% 21,455
30 3,033 12.6% 20,947 87.1% 72 0.3% 24,052
31 9,856 60.4% 6,396 39.2% 77 0.5% 16,329
32 8,266 43.8% 10,515 55.7% 98 0.5% 18,879
33 6,909 37.7% 11,296 61.7% 101 0.6% 18,306
34 29,354 98.8% 336 1.1% 32 0.1% 29,722
35 3,412 15.4% 18,647 84.2% 85 0.4% 22,144
36 1,647 4.9% 31,944 94.8% 95 0.3% 33,686
37 17,549 76.8% 5,251 23.0% 57 0.2% 22,857
38 1,881 5.7% 30,939 94.0% 100 0.3% 32,920
39 3,127 12.3% 22,159 87.3% 92 0.4% 25,378
40 3,772 17.1% 18,202 82.5% 91 0.4% 22,065
41 2,380 6.8% 32,725 93.0% 75 0.2% 35,180
42 12,496 45.5% 14,891 54.2% 67 0.2% 27,454
43 11,006 35.8% 19,618 63.9% 93 0.3% 30,717
44 10,613 39.2% 16,372 60.4% 105 0.4% 27,090
45 2,376 6.9% 31,737 92.8% 91 0.3% 34,204
46 10,251 46.8% 11,542 52.7% 108 0.5% 21,901
47 4,515 18.0% 20,397 81.5% 125 0.5% 25,037
48 9,433 43.3% 12,269 56.3% 88 0.4% 21,790
49 9,719 42.9% 12,815 56.6% 109 0.5% 22,643
50 5,001 18.2% 22,368 81.4% 103 0.4% 27,472
Totals 667,552 51.7% 620,003 48.0% 3,752 0.3% 1,291,307

References

  1. ^ a b c "Election Live Blog: Low voter turnout continues into evening". Chicago Sun-Times. April 3, 2019. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d e Sheppard, Nathaniel (March 17, 1983). "Mayor Byrne Sets Write-in Campaign for Chicago Vote". The New York Times. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
  3. ^ Washington, Laura (February 20, 2023). "Early voter turnout in Chicago elections is high. Will the interest persist?". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
  4. ^ Franklin, Tim (February 23, 1983). "Voter turnout of 80 percent dwarfs record". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved April 3, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r "Chicago's mayoral primary Feb 1983". www.lib.niu.edu.
  6. ^ Rivlin, Gary; Pokemper, Marc (2013). Fire on the Prairie: Harold Washington, Chicago Politics, and the Roots of the Obama Presidency. Temple University Press. ISBN 9781439904916. JSTOR j.ctt14bt943.
  7. ^ "Ludington Daily News". news.google.com – via Google News Archive Search.
  8. ^ a b Rudin, Ken (February 21, 2007). "Chicago's Long-Running Daley Show" – via NPR.
  9. ^ "How Harold Washington, Against the Odds, Became the First Black Mayor of Chicago | History News Network". historynewsnetwork.org.
  10. ^ a b c "Washington's victory Apr 1983". www.lib.niu.edu.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h i Klose, Kevin (February 24, 1983). "Upset in Chicago". The Washington Post.
  12. ^ Green, Paul M.; Holli, Melvin G. (January 10, 2013). The Mayors: The Chicago Political Tradition, fourth edition. SIU Press. p. 225. ISBN 9780809331994. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
  13. ^ a b "Sun-Times endorses Washington for mayor - UPI Archives". UPI. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
  14. ^ "The Telegraph". news.google.com – via Google News Archive Search.
  15. ^ Joravsky, Ben (July 22, 2014). "Political veteran Robert Shaw sees no reason why he can't become mayor". Chicago Reader. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  16. ^ Joravsky, Ben (October 31, 2002). "By Any Means Necessary". Chicago Reader. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  17. ^ a b "Stevenson endorses Daley in hot mayoral race". Daily Republican-Register. Associated Press. February 8, 1983. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
  18. ^ "Political notes". Chicago Tribune. February 14, 1983. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  19. ^ Clymer, Adam (February 22, 1983). "Mondale Begins His '84 Campaign". The New York Times.
  20. ^ "Looping Chicagoland". Chicago Tribune. February 3, 1983. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
  21. ^ Wiedrich, Bob (February 10, 1983). "'Cabal' Can't buy off Adlai". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  22. ^ Fujinaga, Yasumasa (2014). "Black Power at the Polls: The Harold Washington Campaign of 1983 and the Demise of the Democratic Machine in Chicago" (PDF). The Japanese Journal of American Studies (25). Retrieved November 25, 2019.
  23. ^ a b Bremer, Shelby. "4 Candidates for Chicago Mayor Removed From Ballot". NBC Chicago. Retrieved January 18, 2019.
  24. ^ "The Lewiston Daily Sun" – via Google News Archive Search.
  25. ^ "Republican Grasp on Chicago: 9 Jobs". The New York Times. December 5, 1982.
  26. ^ "Chicago Republicans slate candidate for mayoral race". Southern Illinoisan. December 1, 1982. p. 5. Retrieved July 4, 2024.
  27. ^ "In His Lonely Race for Mayor of Chicago, Bernard Epton Finds the G.O.P. on the Wrong Side of the Tracks". Peoplemag.
  28. ^ Myers, Linnet (February 24, 1983). "Epton to appeal to 'disenchanted Democrats'". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved April 3, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  29. ^ "State of Illinois, County of Cook, Case No. 82-EB-CW-2" (PDF). Chicago Board of Election Commissioners. January 7, 1983.
  30. ^ "State of Illinois, County of Cook, Case No. 82-EB-CW-3" (PDF). Chicago Board of Election Commissioners. January 7, 1983.
  31. ^ "State of Illinois, County of Cook, Case No. 82-EB-CW-1" (PDF). Chicago Board of Election Commissioners. January 7, 1983.
  32. ^ Rivlin, Gary; PoKempner, Marc (2013). Fire on the prairie: Harold Washington, Chicago politics, and the roots of the Obama presidency. Urban life, landscape, and policy (2nd ed.). Philadelphia, Pa: Temple Univ. Press. p. 108. ISBN 978-1-4399-0493-0. Epton's campaign was even more ragtag than Washington's. He raised $41,000 during the primary; all but $1,000 came from his own bank account or from family members. His daughter served as campaign manager.
  33. ^ Biles, Roger (2018). Mayor Harold Washington: champion of race and reform in Chicago. Urbana: University of Illinois Press. p. 90. ISBN 978-0-252-04185-3. The huge number of volunteers pouring into Republican campaign offices offering their services overwhelmed the silent, empty rooms that had resembled mausoleums just days before.
  34. ^ Rivlin, Gary (2013). Fire on the prairie: Harold Washington, Chicago politics, and the roots of the Obama presidency (3rd ed.). Philadelphia: Temple University Press. p. 107. ISBN 978-1-4399-0491-6. The day after Washington's primary win, swarms of volunteers were already descending on Republican headquarters. The procession only intensified in the coming days.
  35. ^ Travis, Dempsey (2017). Harold, the people's mayor : the biography of Harold Washington (2nd ed.). Chicago: Agate Bolden. p. 168. ISBN 9781572842373. Just seven days after the primary upset, some of the white citizens who attended an Epton mayoral rally at 3252 S. Halsted St. wore paper bags over their heads, as though they were attempting to hide from the boogey man. The paper bags proclaimed that they were "Unknown Democrats for Epton."
  36. ^ Fremon, David K. (1988). Chicago politics, ward by ward. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. p. 89. ISBN 978-0-253-31344-7. Majerczyk observed (correctly, if the April election returns were any indication) the he would lose few votes in his white ethnic ward by opposing the (black) Democratic mayoral nominee, Harold Washington. He became the first alderman to declare open support for Republican Bernard Epton. Most other white aldermen followed suit, either overtly or covertly.
  37. ^ Biles, Roger (2018). Mayor Harold Washington: champion of race and reform in Chicago. Urbana: University of Illinois Press. p. 92. ISBN 978-0-252-04185-3. After Washington's primary victory, Epton immediately promised to take the high road during the campaign. He refused to be cast as the Great White Hope and told the Chicago Defender that he would "repudiate any efforts by white racist Democrats" to rally around him as the antiblack candidate.
  38. ^ Biles, Roger (2018). Mayor Harold Washington: champion of race and reform in Chicago. Urbana: University of Illinois Press. p. 92. ISBN 978-0-252-04185-3. Eschewing the cutthroat politics for which Chicago had become infamous, Epton promised to refrain from personal attacks against his opponent and to devote his time to sober discussions of the issues. During his first campaign appearances, he met those lofty goals. Epton described Washington as articulate and intelligent and spoke highly of their time spent together in the Illinois General Assembly.
  39. ^ a b Malcolm, Andrew H.; Times, Special To the New York (February 25, 1983). "Chicago Mayoral Race Gains G.O.P.'s Interest" – via NYTimes.com.
  40. ^ "Pittsburgh Post-Gazette" – via Google News Archive Search.
  41. ^ Mouat, Lucia (April 8, 1983). "Chicago readies for controversial mayoral election". Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  42. ^ Biles, Roger (2018). Mayor Harold Washington: champion of race and reform in Chicago. Urbana: University of Illinois Press. p. 97. ISBN 978-0-252-04185-3. Between the evening of the debate and Election Day, just less than three weeks overall, the thin veneer of civility present earlier in the mayoral contest disappeared completely, as Epton vigorously questioned his adversary's fitness to be mayor and Washington responded in kind. The campaign slogan the Republican coined, Epton—Before It's Too Late," addressed the fears of white Chicagoans apprehensive of the changes a black mayor would impose.
  43. ^ Sheppard, Nathaniel Jr. (March 24, 1983). "Jane Byrne Ends Her Write-in Bid to Stay in Office". The New York Times. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  44. ^ Neal, Steve (March 20, 1986). "How Will Ed Kelly Wield His Clout?". chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
  45. ^ "Machine Demo Bolts to Epton". The Dispatch. United Press International. April 1, 1983. Retrieved February 7, 2022.
  46. ^ "Listening positions". Southern Illinoisan. Associated Press. March 30, 1983. Retrieved February 7, 2022.
  47. ^ Moberg, David (April 8, 1983). "Guide for the Perplexed". Chicago ЯEADER. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
  48. ^ Mouat, Lucia (April 8, 1983). "Chicago readies for controversial mayoral election". Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved November 25, 2019.
  49. ^ Preston, Michael B. (1983). "The Election of Harold Washington: Black Voting Patterns in the 1983 Chicago Mayoral Race". PS. 16 (3): 487. doi:10.2307/418606. ISSN 0030-8269 – via Cambridge. In one of the most bitter campaigns in Chicago's history, Washington won with 51.4 percent or 656,727 votes to Epton's 48.3 percent or 617,1 59 votes. The city turnout of 82 percent was one of the highest in Chicago's history.
  50. ^ "Board of Election Commissioners For the City of Chicago Mayoral Election Results Since 1900 General Elections Only". Chicago Board of Election Commissioners. July 18, 2004. Archived from the original on July 18, 2004. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
  51. ^ a b Green, Paul M. (August 1, 1983). "Chicago election: the numbers and the implications". Illinois Issues. Sangamon State University. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  52. ^ Preston, Michael B. (1983). "The Election of Harold Washington: Black Voting Patterns in the 1983 Chicago Mayoral Race". PS. 16 (3): 487. doi:10.2307/418606. ISSN 0030-8269 – via Cambridge. In fact, black voters out-voted whites, and no black ward turned out lower than 73 percent. The black vote for Washington approached 97 percent.
  53. ^ a b "Election Results for 1983 General Election, Mayor, Chicago, IL".
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