Washington, D.C. mayoral election, 1978
Encyclopedia
The 1978 election for Washington, D.C. mayor was the second mayoral election under DC Home Rule. The Democratic primary election
(the most important contest in the DC mayoral
race, as 90% of the District's voters were registered Democrats) 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.
had been the last appointed head of the city, serving as Mayor-Commissioner under President
Lyndon Johnson, before being elected DC's first home rule mayor. By 1978, though he still had the support of the city's unions, Washington was largely seen as a caretaker mayor who served to transition the city from federal oversight to local independence. Washington had appointed white politicians to his high-level administration positions, alienating the black majority who felt that blacks should run the city, and his position as a Johnson appointee raised suspicions that he was too closely tied to the city's former federal custodians..
DC Council Chair
Sterling Tucker
was the early favorite in the race. Like Washington, Tucker had been in Johnson's appointed DC government, the president's choice for council chair in 1967; previously he had been head of the DC chapter of the Urban League and was seen as a moderate crusader for civil rights. Tucker had the support of the city's black ministers, one of the most influential political blocs, and the business community.
Marion Barry
, then incumbent as At-Large member of the DC Council, had come to the District in 1965 as head of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee
(SNCC), and had evolved into radical civil rights activism on the local DC level by the end of the 1960s, founding the activist group Pride, Inc. to provide employment for the city's poor black community. However, he had gained the support of the city's wealthy white liberal establishment and had begun to move through the city's public ranks when elected president of the school board in 1972, then to the Council two years later. Barry kept the white liberal support in his mayoral race, as well as that of the gay community, civil rights movement veterans, and the DC Board of Trade. However, he remained in third place until the Washington Post endorsed Barry on August 30, two weeks before the election.
On the September 12 primary, Barry beat Tucker by an extremely small margin of 1400 votes, close enough that Tucker did not concede until after a recount had taken place. Incumbent Mayor Washington finished third, with just under 3,000 votes less than Barry.
, an African-American Republican who had served as an Assistant Secretary in Richard Nixon
's Department of Labor
. Fletcher approached the race by accusing Barry of being the "white man's candidate," a tactic which the Washington Post criticized as "unforgivably shabby." On November 7, Barry won a landslide election with 70% of the vote.
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
(the most important contest in the DC mayoral
Mayor of the District of Columbia
The Mayor of the District of Columbia is the head of the executive branch of the government of Washington, D.C. The Mayor has the duty to enforce city laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Council of the District of Columbia...
race, as 90% of the District's voters were registered Democrats) took place on Tuesday, September 12, with At-Large Councilman
Council of the District of Columbia
The Council of the District of Columbia is the legislative branch of the local government of the District of Columbia. As permitted in the United States Constitution, the District is not part of any U.S. state and is instead overseen directly by the federal government...
Marion Barry
Marion Barry
Marion Shepilov Barry, Jr. is an American Democratic politician who is currently serving as a member of the Council of the District of Columbia, representing DC's Ward 8. Barry served as the second elected mayor of the District of Columbia from 1979 to 1991, and again as the fourth mayor from 1995...
defeating incumbent mayor Walter E. Washington and Council Chair Sterling Tucker
Sterling Tucker
Sterling Tucker is a civil rights activist and politician in Washington, D.C. In 1974, he was elected as a Democrat to be chairman of the Council of the District of Columbia in the first election after home rule was established, serving for one term...
to become the Democratic nominee for Mayor. Barry defeated Republican nominee Arthur Fletcher
Arthur Fletcher
Arthur Fletcher was an American government official, widely referred to as the "father of affirmative action" as he was largely responsible for the Revised Philadelphia Plan....
and two marginal candidates in the general election on November 7, 1978.
Democratic primary
Walter WashingtonWalter Washington
Walter Edward Washington, was an American politician, the first home-rule mayor of the District of Columbia...
had been the last appointed head of the city, serving as Mayor-Commissioner under President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Lyndon Johnson, before being elected DC's first home rule mayor. By 1978, though he still had the support of the city's unions, Washington was largely seen as a caretaker mayor who served to transition the city from federal oversight to local independence. Washington had appointed white politicians to his high-level administration positions, alienating the black majority who felt that blacks should run the city, and his position as a Johnson appointee raised suspicions that he was too closely tied to the city's former federal custodians..
DC Council Chair
Council of the District of Columbia
The Council of the District of Columbia is the legislative branch of the local government of the District of Columbia. As permitted in the United States Constitution, the District is not part of any U.S. state and is instead overseen directly by the federal government...
Sterling Tucker
Sterling Tucker
Sterling Tucker is a civil rights activist and politician in Washington, D.C. In 1974, he was elected as a Democrat to be chairman of the Council of the District of Columbia in the first election after home rule was established, serving for one term...
was the early favorite in the race. Like Washington, Tucker had been in Johnson's appointed DC government, the president's choice for council chair in 1967; previously he had been head of the DC chapter of the Urban League and was seen as a moderate crusader for civil rights. Tucker had the support of the city's black ministers, one of the most influential political blocs, and the business community.
Marion Barry
Marion Barry
Marion Shepilov Barry, Jr. is an American Democratic politician who is currently serving as a member of the Council of the District of Columbia, representing DC's Ward 8. Barry served as the second elected mayor of the District of Columbia from 1979 to 1991, and again as the fourth mayor from 1995...
, then incumbent as At-Large member of the DC Council, had come to the District in 1965 as head of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee
Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee
The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee ' was one of the principal organizations of the American Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. It emerged from a series of student meetings led by Ella Baker held at Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina in April 1960...
(SNCC), and had evolved into radical civil rights activism on the local DC level by the end of the 1960s, founding the activist group Pride, Inc. to provide employment for the city's poor black community. However, he had gained the support of the city's wealthy white liberal establishment and had begun to move through the city's public ranks when elected president of the school board in 1972, then to the Council two years later. Barry kept the white liberal support in his mayoral race, as well as that of the gay community, civil rights movement veterans, and the DC Board of Trade. However, he remained in third place until the Washington Post endorsed Barry on August 30, two weeks before the election.
On the September 12 primary, Barry beat Tucker by an extremely small margin of 1400 votes, close enough that Tucker did not concede until after a recount had taken place. Incumbent Mayor Washington finished third, with just under 3,000 votes less than Barry.
General election
In the November general election, Barry faced Arthur FletcherArthur Fletcher
Arthur Fletcher was an American government official, widely referred to as the "father of affirmative action" as he was largely responsible for the Revised Philadelphia Plan....
, an African-American Republican who had served as an Assistant Secretary in Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
's Department of Labor
United States Department of Labor
The United States Department of Labor is a Cabinet department of the United States government responsible for occupational safety, wage and hour standards, unemployment insurance benefits, re-employment services, and some economic statistics. Many U.S. states also have such departments. The...
. Fletcher approached the race by accusing Barry of being the "white man's candidate," a tactic which the Washington Post criticized as "unforgivably shabby." On November 7, Barry won a landslide election with 70% of the vote.
Democratic primary
- Source: OurCampaigns.com
General election
- Source: OurCampaigns.com