New Orleans mayoral election, 1969-70
Encyclopedia
The New Orleans mayoral election of 1969-1970 resulted in the election of Moon Landrieu
as mayor of New Orleans. This election also saw an unexpectedly strong showing for a Republican candidate; the party had previously had negligible support in the city.
Second Democratic Party Primary, December 13, 1969
General Election, 1970
Moon Landrieu
Maurice Edwin "Moon" Landrieu is a Democratic politician from Louisiana who served as Mayor of New Orleans from 1970–1978. He also is a former judge...
as mayor of New Orleans. This election also saw an unexpectedly strong showing for a Republican candidate; the party had previously had negligible support in the city.
Candidates
Major candidates in the Democratic primary included:- former State Representative and City Councilman-at-Large Moon LandrieuMoon LandrieuMaurice Edwin "Moon" Landrieu is a Democratic politician from Louisiana who served as Mayor of New Orleans from 1970–1978. He also is a former judge...
,
- Jimmy FitzmorrisJimmy FitzmorrisJames Edward "Jimmy" Fitzmorris, Jr. , is a New Orleans businessman and civic leader who was the Democratic Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana from 1972–1980...
, former City Councillor from 1954 to 1966
- former Louisiana Attorney General and current State Senator William J. GusteWilliam J. GusteWilliam J. "Billy" Guste, Jr., is a New Orleans attorney, businessman and popular Democratic attorney general of Louisiana from 1972 to 1992. He succeeded the scandal-plagued Jack P.F. Gremillion, a fellow Democrat who had held the position since 1956. Guste received recognition for molding the...
- City Councillor-at-Large John J. Petre had previously been a state legislator.
- Judge David Gertler was well financed and had strong support from the city's Jewish community
- Orleans Parish School Board President Lloyd J. Rittiner
Results
First Democratic Party Primary, November 8, 1969| Candidate | Votes received | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| Jimmy Fitzmorris Jimmy Fitzmorris James Edward "Jimmy" Fitzmorris, Jr. , is a New Orleans businessman and civic leader who was the Democratic Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana from 1972–1980... |
59,301 | 34.53% |
| Moon Landrieu Moon Landrieu Maurice Edwin "Moon" Landrieu is a Democratic politician from Louisiana who served as Mayor of New Orleans from 1970–1978. He also is a former judge... |
33,093 | 19.27% |
| William J. Guste William J. Guste William J. "Billy" Guste, Jr., is a New Orleans attorney, businessman and popular Democratic attorney general of Louisiana from 1972 to 1992. He succeeded the scandal-plagued Jack P.F. Gremillion, a fellow Democrat who had held the position since 1956. Guste received recognition for molding the... |
29,487 | 17.17% |
| John J. Petre | 22,471 | 13.08% |
| David Gertler | 20,572 | 11.98% |
| Lloyd J. Rittiner | 2,678 | 1.56% |
| John J. Spann, Jr. | 1,707 | 0.99% |
| Addison Roswell Thompson | 1,248 | 0.73% |
| Dan G. Dial | 470 | 0.27% |
| Rodney Fertel | 310 | 0.18% |
| Maurice Charles Sciortino | 201 | 0.12% |
| Cecilia M. Pizzo | 198 | 0.12% |
Second Democratic Party Primary, December 13, 1969
| Candidate | Votes received | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| Moon Landrieu | 89,554 | 53.86% |
| Jimmy Fitzmorris | 76,726 | 46.14% |
General Election, 1970
| Candidate | Party | Votes received | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moon Landrieu | Democrat | 94,332 | 59.0% |
| Ben C. Toledano | Republican | 65,558 | 41.0% |
Sources
- Orleans Parish Democratic Executive Committee. First and Second Democratic Primary Elections, 1969.
- Fitzmorris, James E. Frankly, Fitz! Pelican, 1992.