1977 Chicago mayoral special election

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

1977 Chicago mayoral special election

← 1975 June 7, 1977 1979 →
Turnout40%[1] Decrease 7.3 pp
 
Nominee Michael A. Bilandic Dennis H. Block
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 490,688 135,282
Percentage 77.3% 21.3%

Mayor before election

Michael A. Bilandic (appointed)
Democratic

Elected Mayor

Michael A. Bilandic
Democratic

The Chicago mayoral election of 1977 was a special election held on June 7, 1977 to complete the remainder of the unexpired mayoral term of Richard J. Daley who died of a heart attack in December 1976. The election saw Interim Mayor Michael A. Bilandic win the election. Bliandic defeated Republican city council member Dennis H. Block by a landslide 56% margin.[2][3]

The election was preceded by February primary elections to determine the Democratic Party and Republican Party nominations. Bilandic won a strong victory over several opponents in the Democratic primary, including Congressman Roman Pucinski, State Senator Harold Washington, and former cook county state's attorney Edward Hanrahan. Block easily defeated three opponents in the Republican primary.

Background[edit]

After the death in office of Richard J. Daley on December 20, 1976, Bilandic had been selected by the Chicago City Council to serve as acting mayor for six months until an election would be held. On December 24, Bilandic told alderman and other city hall leaders that he would not be competing in the upcoming special election for the remainder of Daley's term.[4] However, the following week, Bilandic reneged on this pledge, and announced that he would be open to a draft.[4] By 1977, Chicago had not elected a Republican mayor, and had only elected Democratic mayors, for a half-century, with the last Republican elected having been William Hale Thompson in 1927. Dating back to Edward J. Kelly, who took office in 1933, all Chicago mayors up to this point (Kelly, Martin H. Kennelly, Richard J. Daley, and now Bilandic) had hailed in some sense from Bilandic's 11th Ward.[5]

Primaries and nominations[edit]

47.07% of registered voters participated in the primary elections.[6]

Democratic primary[edit]

Bilandic won the Democratic Party's primary. Bilandic had a well-staged "draft" effort.[4] He won the Cook County Democratic Party central committee's endorsement.[4] Congressman Roman Pucinski had entered the race at the point when Bilandic had yet to reverse course on his pledge to not seek election.[4] The party organization had pressured him to drop out of the race for Bilandic's benefit, which he refused to do.[4] Pucinski sought to receive strong support from the city's sizable Polish-American electorage.[4] He also sought to challenge Bilandic to a series of debates, which Bilandic declined.[4] Pucinski was considered Bilandic's foremost opponent in the primary.[5]

Puncinski argued that a Bilandic administration would present more, "politics-as-usual".[5] Pucinski focused much of his campaign on addressing the issue of unemployment.[5] He alleged that Bilandic had been using unfair campaign tactics, alleging that Puncinski campaign workers and supporters had received threats from landlords and city inspectors.[5] State Senator Harold Washington's campaign was underfunded and lacked strong organization.[4] He also suffered due to the impact of personal legal issues.[4] He focused his campaign on the black wards of the city's South Side.[4] Washington was an African American, and was counting on receiving strong African American support.[5] Also running was disgraced former Cook County State's Attorney Edward Hanrahan.[4] Minor candidates in the primary were lawyers Anthony R. Martin-Trigona and Ellis E. Reid, the latter of whom was African American.[5]

Wanting to be seen by voters as a competent administrator and chief executive, Bilandic refused to be drawn into controversy and largely ignored his opponents.[4] He sought to also present himself as a friend to business and a successful labor mediator.[5] During the campaign, he made appearances at ribbon-cutting ceremonies, charity dinners, and other events.[5] The Washington Post noted that, largely absent from the discourse of the primary, had been the issues of industries leaving the city, public transport, the quality of schools, and racial integration.[5]

Results[edit]

Bilandic won a plurality of the vote in 38 of the city's 50 wards.[4][7] Pucinski won a plurality of the vote in 7 wards (all on the North and Northwest Sides).[4][7] Washington won a plurality of the vote in 5 wards.[7] Bilandic had won Southwest Side Polish wards that Pucinski had been counting on winning.[5] After the election results came in, Harold Washington alleged that there had been, "massive vote fraud".[5]

Chicago Democratic Party Mayoral Primary, 1977[2][7]
Candidate Votes %
Michael A. Bilandic (incumbent) 368,400 51.1%
Roman Pucinski 235,790 32.7%
Harold Washington 77,322 10.7%
Edward Hanrahan 28,643 4.0%
Anthony Robert Martin-Trigona 6,674 0.9%
Ellis Reid 4,022 0.6%
Total 720,851 100%

Republican primary[edit]

The Republican nomination was captured by 47th Ward alderman Dennis H. Block, who had originally was supportive of Bilandic's interim mayoralty before the incumbent mayor reneged on his pledge not to run for a full term.[8][9] Block was urged by Governor James R. Thompson to run for mayor so as not to leave the office in the hands of the Democrats.[10]

Block handily won the Republican primary over three other Republican candidates.[5] Block, at the time, was the city's sole Republican alderman (among 50).[4] He had been elected an alderman two years prior.[11] Block was the first mayoral candidate since Martin H. Kennelly to be a resident of Edgewater.[9] Thus, he was the first candidate from Edgewater since 1955 and the first general election nominee since 1951 to hail from Edgewater. He was the fourth overall mayoral candidate from the neighborhood, and would have been the third mayor from the neighborhood if elected.[9]

Socialist Workers nomination[edit]

  • Dennis Brasky[8]

U.S. Labor Party nomination[edit]

General election and result[edit]

The general election generated little interest.[4] At 40%, turnout was considered low.[1][4] Bilandic won a majority of the vote in each of the city's 50 wards.[12]

Mayor of Chicago 1977 special election[12][13] (general election)
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Michael A. Bilandic (incumbent) 490,688 77.4
Republican Dennis H. Block 135,281 21.3
Socialist Workers Dennis Brasky 5,547 0.9
U.S. Labor Gerald Rose 2,498 0.4
Turnout 634,014
Results by ward[12]
Ward Michael A. Bilandic
(Democratic Party)
Dennis H. Block
(Republican Party)
Dennis Brasky
(Socialist Workers Party)
Gerald Rose
(U.S. Labor)
Total
Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes
1 9,157 87.4% 1,207 11.5% 78 0.7% 36 0.3% 10,478
2 7,022 81.7% 1,375 16.0% 11 1.3% 87 1.0% 8,594
3 6,373 89.3% 634 8.9% 65 0.9% 67 0.9% 7,139
4 6,688 79.6% 1,491 17.7% 135 1.6% 91 1.1% 8,405
5 4,235 58.7% 2,716 37.6% 213 3.0% 56 0.8% 7,22
6 6,397 79.9% 1,432 17.9% 106 1.3% 69 0.9% 8,004
7 5,234 75.4% 1,575 22.7% 79 1.1% 5 0.7% 6,938
8 7,122 79.2% 1,679 18.7% 98 1.1% 9 1.0% 8,989
9 5,085 81.6% 1,055 16.9% 49 0.8% 45 0.7% 6,234
10 13,55 84.2% 2,406 14.9% 97 0.6% 48 0.3% 16,101
11 23,834 94.4% 1,278 5.1% 86 0.3% 42 0.2% 25,24
12 14,794 81.9% 3,15 17.4% 91 0.5% 32 0.2% 18,067
13 20,654 82.6% 4,234 16.9% 101 0.4% 26 0.1% 25,015
14 13,448 86.6% 1,959 12.6% 89 0.6% 37 0.2% 15,533
15 10,067 84.2% 1,765 14.8% 8 0.7% 46 0.4% 11,958
16 6,991 87.6% 844 10.6% 93 1.2% 54 0.7% 7,982
17 5,24 82.9% 932 14.8% 8 1.3% 66 1.0% 6,318
18 13,787 81.2% 3,003 17.7% 129 0.8% 53 0.3% 16,972
19 15,146 78.8% 3,927 20.4% 96 0.5% 43 0.2% 19,212
20 6,343 84.5% 996 13.3% 96 1.3% 7 0.9% 7,505
21 7,855 79.9% 1,763 17.9% 11 1.1% 106 1.1% 9,834
22 8,688 85.3% 1,392 13.7% 64 0.6% 37 0.4% 10,181
23 17,575 79.9% 4,268 19.4% 123 0.6% 32 0.1% 21,998
24 5,645 89.2% 559 8.8% 66 1.0% 55 0.9% 6,325
25 9,841 90.0% 1,007 9.2% 59 0.5% 29 0.3% 10,936
26 11,057 86.2% 1,644 12.8% 84 0.7% 42 0.3% 12,827
27 10,14 93.3% 614 5.7% 67 0.6% 44 0.4% 10,865
28 5,197 88.7% 541 9.2% 55 0.9% 63 1.1% 5,856
29 4,395 86.7% 592 11.7% 57 1.1% 26 0.5% 5,07
30 9,07 71.1% 3,518 27.6% 141 1.1% 36 0.3% 12,765
31 13,086 89.4% 1,442 9.8% 8 0.5% 33 0.2% 14,641
32 9,754 81.7% 2,042 17.1% 108 0.9% 39 0.3% 11,943
33 9,45 76.5% 2,722 22.0% 132 1.1% 46 0.4% 12,35
34 6,64 83.0% 1,198 15.0% 92 1.1% 74 0.9% 8,004
35 8,754 64.9% 4,563 33.8% 138 1.0% 39 0.3% 13,494
36 16,806 75.9% 5,132 23.2% 147 0.7% 44 0.2% 22,129
37 7,975 82.8% 1,529 15.9% 76 0.8% 5 0.5% 9,63
38 12,505 69.3% 5,353 29.7% 134 0.7% 49 0.3% 18,041
39 11,065 72.1% 4,11 26.8% 137 0.9% 42 0.3% 15,354
40 8,542 64.3% 4,561 34.3% 147 1.1% 37 0.3% 13,287
41 12,696 64.5% 6,783 34.5% 148 0.8% 44 0.2% 19,671
42 9,321 68.9% 4,019 29.7% 13 1.0% 67 0.5% 13,537
43 6,827 56.8% 4,908 40.9% 228 1.9% 47 0.4% 12,01
44 6,94 63.7% 3,762 34.5% 146 1.3% 45 0.4% 10,893
45 12,832 67.9% 5,885 31.2% 136 0.7% 34 0.2% 18,887
46 6,608 66.2% 3,203 32.1% 115 1.2% 58 0.6% 9,984
47 13,002 76.8% 3,80 22.4% 102 0.6% 28 0.2% 16,932
48 6,71 54.1% 5,488 44.2% 162 1.3% 45 0.4% 12,405
49 8,404 64.3% 4,411 33.7% 21 1.6% 48 0.4% 13,073
50 12,141 63.3% 6,814 35.5% 182 0.9% 51 0.3% 19,188
Totals 490,688 77.4% 135,281 21.3% 5,547 0.9% 2,498 0.4% 634,014

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Denvir, Daniel (May 22, 2015). "Voter Turnout in U.S. Mayoral Elections Is Pathetic, But It Wasn't Always This Way". Bloomberg.com. City Lab (The Atlantic). Retrieved December 11, 2018.
  2. ^ a b "Our Campaigns - Chicago Mayor Race - Jun 07, 1977". www.ourcampaigns.com.
  3. ^ "Bilandic winner with 77% of vote (June 8, 1977)".
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Green, Paul M.; Holli, Melvin G. (January 10, 2013). The Mayors: The Chicago Political Tradition, fourth edition. SIU Press. pp. 162–164. ISBN 9780809331994. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Chicago's Acting Mayor Bilandic, A Daley Protege, Wins in Primary". Washington Post. April 20, 1977. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  6. ^ Franklin, Tim (February 23, 1983). "Voter turnout of 80 percent dwarfs record". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved April 3, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ a b c d e "1977 Mayor Elections". Archived from the original on November 30, 2018. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
  8. ^ a b c "Chicago Votes Tomorrow for Mayor to Fill Daley's Unexpired Term". The New York Times. June 6, 1977.
  9. ^ a b c "Edgewater Teasers Vol. XVI No. 3 - FALL 2005". Edgewater History. Retrieved February 13, 2019.
  10. ^ "Chicago Votes Tomorrow for Mayor To Fill Daley's Unexpired Term". The New York Times. June 6, 1977. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  11. ^ "Centennial List of Mayors, City Clerks, City Attorneys, City Treasurers, and Aldermen, elected by the people of the city of Chicago, from the incorporation of the city on March 4, 1837 to March 4, 1937, arranged in alphabetical order, showing the years during which each official held office". Archived from the original on September 4, 2018. Retrieved December 24, 2018.
  12. ^ a b c "Election Results for 1977 General Election, Mayor, Chicago, IL".
  13. ^ "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.