1974 Washington, D.C., mayoral election

Last updated

1974 Washington, D.C., mayoral election
Flag of the District of Columbia.svg
November 5, 1974 1978  
  Walterwashington (1).jpg 3x4.svg
Nominee Walter Washington Sam Harris
Party Democratic Independent
Popular vote84,6767,514
Percentage80.5%7.1%

DC 1974 Mayorial Election By Ward.svg
Results by ward

Mayor before election

Walter Washington
(as Mayor-Commissioner)
Democratic

Elected Mayor

Walter Washington
Democratic

Washington, D.C., held its first direct election for its mayor on November 5, 1974. It followed the passage of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act by the U.S. Congress in 1973. The election was won by Walter Washington, a Democrat.

As with every mayoral election that followed, the 1974 race was at its most intense in the Democratic Primary, with 90 percent of DC's voters registered as Democrats. [1] The primary contest was a seven-person race, but the highest profile candidates were Walter Washington, then incumbent as the presidentially appointed Mayor-Commissioner, and Clifford Alexander Jr., former chairman of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Washington was by far the favorite at the start of the campaign in May 1974, but tightened as the September primary drew closer. Washington won the September 10 primary, 53%-47%. [2]

1974 Washington, D.C. mayoral election results [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Democratic Walter Washington 84,676 80.50
Independent Sam Harris7,5147.14
Republican Jackson R. Champion3,7033.52
Independent Raymond V. Ellis2,9852.84
Write in 2,8432.70
Socialist Workers Nan Bailey2,1432.04
Independent Tommye Lynn Grant1,3191.25
Majority77,16273.36
Turnout 105,183

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1984 United States presidential election</span> 50th quadrennial U.S. presidential election

The 1984 United States presidential election was the 50th quadrennial presidential election held on Tuesday, November 6, 1984. Incumbent Republican president Ronald Reagan was re-elected to a second term defeating Democratic former vice president Walter Mondale in a landslide victory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marion Barry</span> Former mayor of the District of Columbia

Marion Shepilov Barry was an American politician who served as mayor of the District of Columbia from 1979 to 1991 and 1995 to 1999. A Democrat, Barry had served three tenures on the Council of the District of Columbia, representing as an at-large member from 1975 to 1979, in Ward 8 from 1993 to 1995, and again from 2005 to 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walter Washington</span> Mayor of the District of Columbia from 1975 to 1979

Walter Edward Washington was an American civil servant and politician. After a career in public housing, Washington was the chief executive of the District of Columbia from 1967 to 1979, serving as the first and only Mayor-Commissioner of the District of Columbia from 1967 to 1974, and as the first Mayor of the District of Columbia from 1975 to 1979.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1978 United States Senate elections</span>

The 1978 United States Senate elections were held on November 7, in the middle of Democratic President Jimmy Carter's term. The 33 seats of Class 2 were contested in regular elections. Special elections were also held to fill vacancies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1974 United States Senate elections</span>

The 1974 United States Senate elections were held on November 5, with the 34 seats of Class 3 contested in regular elections. They occurred in the wake of the Watergate scandal, Richard M. Nixon's resignation from the presidency, and Gerald Ford's subsequent pardon of Nixon. Economic issues, specifically inflation and stagnation, were also a factor that contributed to Republican losses. As an immediate result of the November 1974 elections, Democrats made a net gain of three seats from the Republicans, as they defeated Republican incumbents in Colorado and Kentucky and picked up open seats in Florida and Vermont, while Republicans won the open seat in Nevada. Following the elections, at the beginning of the 94th U.S. Congress, the Democratic caucus controlled 60 seats, and the Republican caucus controlled 38 seats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carol Schwartz</span> American politician (born 1944)

Carol Schwartz is an American politician from Washington, D.C., who served as a Republican at-large member on the Council of the District of Columbia from 1985 to 1989 and again from 1997 to 2009. A five-time perennial candidate for mayor, she is the only Republican nominee since the restoration of home rule to garner more than 30 percent of the vote. She announced her fifth campaign for mayor on June 9, 2014 finishing behind Muriel Bowser and David Catania. In 2015, she was appointed to the D.C. Board of Ethics and Government Accountability by Mayor Muriel Bowser.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1976 Democratic Party presidential primaries</span> Primary election process

From January 27 to June 8, 1976, voters of the Democratic Party chose its nominee for president in the 1976 United States presidential election. Former Georgia governor Jimmy Carter was selected as the nominee through a series of primary elections and caucuses culminating in the 1976 Democratic National Convention held from July 12 to July 15, 1976, in New York City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1978 Washington, D.C., mayoral election</span>

On November 7, 1978, Washington, D.C., held the second election for its mayor as a result of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act. The primary election of the Democratic Party took place on Tuesday, September 12, with At-Large Councilman Marion Barry defeating incumbent mayor Walter E. Washington and Council Chair Sterling Tucker to become the Democratic nominee for Mayor. Barry defeated Republican nominee Arthur Fletcher and two marginal candidates in the general election on November 7, 1978.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 Washington, D.C., mayoral election</span>

On November 2, 2010, Washington, D.C., held an election for its mayor. The primary elections occurred on September 14. Vincent Gray won the general election by a wide margin, although many voters wrote in incumbent Mayor Adrian Fenty, whom Gray defeated in the primary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electoral history of Marion Barry</span>

The electoral history of Marion Barry:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1974 United States Senate election in Utah</span> Senate election

The 1974 United States Senate election in Utah took place on November 5, 1974 alongside other elections to the United States Senate in other states as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mayor of the District of Columbia</span> Head of the executive branch of the D.C. government

The mayor of the District of Columbia is the head of the executive branch of the government of the District of Columbia. The mayor has the duty to enforce district laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the D.C. Council. In addition, the mayor oversees all district services, public property, police and fire protection, most public agencies, and the district public school system. The mayor's office oversees an annual district budget of $8.8 billion. The mayor's executive office is located in the John A. Wilson Building in Downtown Washington, D.C. The mayor appoints several officers, including the deputy mayors for Education and Planning & Economic Development, the district administrator, the chancellor of the district's public schools, and the department heads of the district agencies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 United States elections</span>

The 2017 United States elections were held, in large part, on Tuesday, November 7, 2017. This off-year election featured gubernatorial elections in Virginia and New Jersey, as well as state legislative elections in both houses of the New Jersey Legislature and in the Virginia House of Delegates. Numerous citizen initiatives, mayoral races, and a variety of other local elections also occurred. Special elections were also held for one seat of the U.S. Senate, representing Alabama, and six seats of the U.S. House of Representatives. The Democrats picked up the governorship in New Jersey and the Alabama Senate seat that was up for a special election. The governorship in Virginia and the six House seats that were up for special elections did not change party hands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1956 United States Senate election in Kansas</span> Election in Kansas

The 1956 United States Senate election in Kansas took place on November 6, 1956. Incumbent Republican Senator Frank Carlson won re-election to a second term.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 United States elections</span>

The 2019 United States elections were held, in large part, on Tuesday, November 5, 2019. This off-year election included gubernatorial elections in Kentucky, Louisiana, and Mississippi; regularly-scheduled state legislative elections in Louisiana, Mississippi, Virginia, and New Jersey; and special elections for seats in various state legislatures. Numerous citizen initiatives, mayoral races, and a variety of other local elections also occurred. Three special elections to the United States House of Representatives also took place in 2019 as a result of vacancies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Washington, D.C., mayoral election</span>

On November 6, 2018, Washington, D.C., held an election for its mayor. Incumbent Democrat Muriel Bowser won re-election, becoming the first Mayor to do so for Washington, D.C., since Anthony A. Williams won a second term in 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calvin H. Gurley</span> American accountant

Calvin H. Gurley is an accountant and perennial candidate living in Washington, D.C.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1963 Philadelphia municipal election</span>

The 1963 Philadelphia's municipal election, held on November 5, involved contests for mayor, all seventeen city council seats, and several other executive and judicial offices. The Democrats lost vote share citywide and the Republicans gained one seat in City Council, but the Democratic acting mayor, James Tate, was elected to a full term and his party maintained their hold on the city government. The election was the first decline in the Democrats' share of the vote since they took control of the city government in the 1951 elections, and showed the growing tension between the reformers and ward bosses within their party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mayoral elections in Hartford, Connecticut</span> Elections for mayor in Hartford, Connecticut

Elections are currently held every four years to elect the mayor of Hartford, Connecticut.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Council of the District of Columbia election</span>

On November 8, 2022, a general election was held for the Council of the District of Columbia. Elections were held in four ward districts as well as for Chairperson of the council and two at-large seats. Democrats remained in control of the council, electing 6 out of the 7 positions that were on the ballot. Independent Kenyan McDuffin, formerly the Democratic councilperson for Ward 5, was also elected.

References

  1. Harry S. Jaffe and Tom Sherwood. Dream City: Race, Power, and the Decline of Washington D.C. Simon & Schuster, 1994, p.62
  2. Matthews, Jay (October 11, 1999). "City's 1st Mayoral Race, as Innocent as Young Love". Washington Post. p. A1.
  3. https://archive.org/details/americavotes11elec/page/356 Page 359