Louis D. Belcher
Encyclopedia
Louis D. Belcher was the mayor of Ann Arbor, Michigan
, from 1978 to 1983. He won office in an unusual "special election" of 1978, held after lengthy court wranglings over the disputed 1977 mayoral contest, and went on to win three more two-year terms as mayor.
, losing in the Republican
primary to Jack J. Garris, who was then defeated in the general election by Democrat
Robert J. Harris
.
nominee against incumbent Democratic
mayor Albert H. Wheeler
, the city's first African-American mayor. Belcher lost by a margin of a single vote, with Wheeler prevailing by a count of 10,660 to 10,659. The election results, however, went to court because twenty people who lived just outside city limits had voted, without knowing that they were ineligible to cast ballots in Ann Arbor. A judge ordered that the voters reveal the name of the candidate for whom they had voted, in order to determine who would have won the election without the twenty ineligible votes, but University of Michigan
student Susan R. Van Hattum refused the order on privacy grounds.
As the court challenge dragged on through 1977, Mayor Wheeler agreed to a new election in order to end the contentious legal process. The new election was held in 1978, with Belcher winning and becoming mayor.
nomination unopposed and defeating Democratic
candidate James Kenworthy in the April general election. Belcher went on to win two more terms, defeating Democratic
challengers Robert G. Faber in April 1981 and Leslie Morris, who was attempting to become the city's first female mayor, in April 1983. At the time, his seven-year incumbency was the longest that a single person had held the Ann Arbor mayor's chair since the administration of Mayor William E. Brown, Jr. from 1945-57.
As mayor, Belcher was responsible for several initiatives in the areas of energy policy, historic preservation, and economic development. In 1981, Belcher established the Mayor's Energy Advisory Board (known since 1985 as the Ann Arbor Energy Commission), as an effort to develop ways for the city to become more energy efficient. The same year, Belcher persuaded the city council to buy the disused Michigan Theater
, a 1928 movie palace, in order to preserve it from demolition; the theater is now a successful non-profit organization. In 1982, Belcher responded to Parke-Davis's
threat to leave Ann Arbor for Canada
and The Netherlands by offering substantial city property-tax abatements, keeping the company in town but stirring up anger among liberal voters and city councilmembers.
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
, from 1978 to 1983. He won office in an unusual "special election" of 1978, held after lengthy court wranglings over the disputed 1977 mayoral contest, and went on to win three more two-year terms as mayor.
Early career
Louis Belcher was born in 1939. In 1971, Belcher first ran for mayor of Ann ArborAnn Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
, losing in the Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
primary to Jack J. Garris, who was then defeated in the general election by Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Robert J. Harris
Robert J. Harris
Robert J. Harris was a lawyer, professor, and mayor of the city of Ann Arbor in the U.S. state of Michigan.-Biography:...
.
Contested election of 1977
In 1978, normally not a mayoral election year in Ann Arbor, Belcher became mayor under bizarre circumstances. In April 1977, he had run as the RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
nominee against incumbent Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
mayor Albert H. Wheeler
Albert H. Wheeler
Albert H. Wheeler was an American life-sciences professor and politician in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He became the city's first African-American mayor, serving in the office from 1975 to 1978.-Early career:...
, the city's first African-American mayor. Belcher lost by a margin of a single vote, with Wheeler prevailing by a count of 10,660 to 10,659. The election results, however, went to court because twenty people who lived just outside city limits had voted, without knowing that they were ineligible to cast ballots in Ann Arbor. A judge ordered that the voters reveal the name of the candidate for whom they had voted, in order to determine who would have won the election without the twenty ineligible votes, but University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
student Susan R. Van Hattum refused the order on privacy grounds.
As the court challenge dragged on through 1977, Mayor Wheeler agreed to a new election in order to end the contentious legal process. The new election was held in 1978, with Belcher winning and becoming mayor.
Belcher's subsequent mayoral terms
In 1979, Belcher ran for reelection, taking the RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
nomination unopposed and defeating Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
candidate James Kenworthy in the April general election. Belcher went on to win two more terms, defeating Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
challengers Robert G. Faber in April 1981 and Leslie Morris, who was attempting to become the city's first female mayor, in April 1983. At the time, his seven-year incumbency was the longest that a single person had held the Ann Arbor mayor's chair since the administration of Mayor William E. Brown, Jr. from 1945-57.
As mayor, Belcher was responsible for several initiatives in the areas of energy policy, historic preservation, and economic development. In 1981, Belcher established the Mayor's Energy Advisory Board (known since 1985 as the Ann Arbor Energy Commission), as an effort to develop ways for the city to become more energy efficient. The same year, Belcher persuaded the city council to buy the disused Michigan Theater
Michigan Theater (Ann Arbor)
The Michigan Theater is a movie palace in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States of America. It shows independent films, stage productions and musical concerts....
, a 1928 movie palace, in order to preserve it from demolition; the theater is now a successful non-profit organization. In 1982, Belcher responded to Parke-Davis's
Parke-Davis
Parke-Davis is a subsidiary of the pharmaceutical company Pfizer. Although no longer an independent corporation, it was once America's oldest and largest drug maker, and played an important role in medical history.- History :...
threat to leave Ann Arbor for Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and The Netherlands by offering substantial city property-tax abatements, keeping the company in town but stirring up anger among liberal voters and city councilmembers.
Further reading
- Mayors of Ann Arbor page at PoliticalGraveyard.com
External links
- Louis D. Belcher on Arborwiki