1971 Philadelphia mayoral election

1971 Philadelphia mayoral election

← 1967 November 2, 1971 1975 →
Turnout77%[1] Increase 4 pp
 
Nominee Frank Rizzo Thacher Longstreth
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 394,067 345,912
Percentage 52.87% 46.41%

Mayor before election

James Tate
Democratic

Elected mayor

Frank Rizzo
Democratic

The 1971 Philadelphia mayoral election took place on November 2, 1971, to fill the 182nd mayoral term in Philadelphia, with Democratic nominee Frank Rizzo defeating Republican Thacher Longstreth.[2][3] While Longstreth received many split ticket votes from Democrats, Rizzo found support among unions and the white working-class electorate.[3]

Rizzo was the first Italian-American mayor of Philadelphia,[3] and would be reelected in 1975 before a failed attempt to change the city charter to allow him to run for a third term.[4]

  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. ^ "Mayors of Philadelphia". www.phila.gov. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  3. ^ a b c Janson, Donald (November 3, 1971). "RIZZO WINS RACE IN PHILADELPHIA". The New York Times. p. 1. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  4. ^ Gambacorta, David; Laker, Barbara (June 4, 2020). "Frank Rizzo leaves a legacy of unchecked police brutality and division in Philadelphia". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved January 11, 2022.