1972 Orlando mayoral election

1972 Orlando mayoral election

← 1968 September 12, 1972 1976  →

Candidate Carl T. Langford Jack Mitchell Party Nonpartisan Nonpartisan Popular vote 12,138 3,491 Percentage 77.66% 22.34%

Mayor before election Carl T. Langford Nonpartisan Elected mayor Carl T. Langford Nonpartisan

The 1972 Orlando mayoral election took place on September 12, 1972. Incumbent Mayor Carl T. Langford ran for re-election to a second full term, which he said would be his last. ^[1] He was challenged for re-election by Reverend Jack Mitchell, the Florida director of the Congress for Racial Equality (CORE). ^[2]

Mitchell's campaign was supported by CORE, which focused its local electoral efforts on his campaign. ^[2] He attacked Langford for failing to deliver on promises to remove parking meters and to build a civic center, ^[3] and suggested the creation of an Orlando city school district to solve local concerns over busing. ^[4]

Despite Mitchell's spirited campaign, Langford remained the frontrunner, raising significantly more funds than Mitchell, ^[5] and ultimately defeated him in a landslide, winning re-election with 78 percent of the vote. ^[6]

General election

Candidates

• Carl T. Langford, incumbent Mayor ^[7]
• Jack Mitchell, Congress of Racial Equality state director, pastor ^[2]

Results

1972 Orlando mayoral election results ^[8]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Nonpartisan	Carl T. Langford (inc.)	12,138	77.66%
	Nonpartisan	Jack Mitchell	3,491	22.34%
Total votes			15,629	100.00%

References

1. "Langford Runs Again, But It's Last Time". Orlando Evening Star . July 15, 1972. p. 1-B. Retrieved August 1, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
2. Madlee, Dorothy (May 30, 1972). "Mitchell Running For Mayor". Orlando Evening Star . p. 1-B. Retrieved August 1, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
3. Twitty, Tom (August 25, 1972). "Charges Fly As Demos Turn On Primary Campaign Heat". Orlando Evening Star . p. 1-B. Retrieved August 1, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
4. Schulte, Joann (September 8, 1972). "Mitchell Proposes City School Plan". Orlando Evening Star . p. 7-B. Retrieved August 1, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
5. "Langford Leads In Contributions". Orlando Evening Star . August 28, 1972. p. 6-A. Retrieved August 1, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
6. Schulte, Joann (September 13, 1972). "Rights Chief, Barnes Run Far Behind". Orlando Evening Star . p. 1-A. Retrieved August 1, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
7. Schulte, Joann (July 14, 1972). "Langford Will Seek Another Term". Orlando Evening Star . p. 1-B. Retrieved August 1, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
8. "Election Results 1970-1978" (PDF). Orlando City Clerk. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 12, 2015. Retrieved August 1, 2025.