1991 Philadelphia mayoral election

1991 Philadelphia mayoral election

November 5, 1991
Turnout	61%[1] 10 pp
Nominee Ed Rendell Joseph M. Egan, Jr. Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 288,467 132,811 Percentage 64.24% 29.58%
Mayor before election Wilson Goode Democratic Elected Mayor Ed Rendell Democratic

Democratic primary

Candidates

Declared

• Lucien Blackwell, City Councilman and Consumers Party nominee for Mayor in 1979
• George R. Burrell, Jr., City Councilman[2]
• Peter Hearn, former Chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association[2]
• Ed Rendell, former District Attorney of Philadelphia and candidate for Mayor in 1987

Results

Philadelphia mayoral Democratic primary, 1991

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Ed Rendell	146,373	49.50%
	Democratic	Lucien Blackwell	79,212	26.79%
	Democratic	George R. Burrell, Jr.	43,787	14.81%
	Democratic	Peter Hearn	26,353	8.91%

Republican primary

Candidates

Declared

• Ronald Castille, Philadelphia District Attorney
• Sam Katz, municipal finance expert[2]
• Frank Rizzo, former Mayor

Withdrew

• Joan Specter, City Councilwoman[3] (to run for re-election)
• Dennis Morrison-Wesley, tax consultant[3][4] (to run as New Philadelphia candidate)

Declined

• Thacher Longstreth, nominee for Mayor in 1955 and 1971[3]
• Brian J. O'Neill, City Councilman[3]

Results

Philadelphia mayoral Republican primary, 1991

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Frank Rizzo	47,523	36.45%
	Republican	Ronald Castille	46,094	35.35%
	Republican	Sam Katz	36,764	28.20%

Following Rizzo's death, City Council candidate Joseph Egan was selected by the Philadelphia Republican Party to replace Rizzo as the nominee.[5]

Independents and third parties

Consumer

• Pamela Lawler

New Alliance

• Willie Dennis-Scott

New Philadelphia

• Dennis Morrison-Wesley, tax consultant

Socialist Workers

• Kathleen Mickells, coal miner and nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1988

General election

Results

Philadelphia mayoral election, 1991[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Democratic	Ed Rendell	288,467	64.24%
	Republican	Joseph M. Egan, Jr.	132,811	29.58%
	New Philadelphia	Dennis Morrison-Wesley	14,640	3.26%
	Citizens	Pamela Lawler	9,367	2.09%
	New Alliance	Willie Dennis Scott	1,934	0.43%
	Socialist Workers	Kathleen Mickells	1,811	0.40%
Majority
Turnout			449,030	100.00%
	Democratic hold		Swing

References

1. Denvir, Daniel (22 May 2015). "Voter Turnout in U.S. Mayoral Elections Is Pathetic, But It Wasn't Always This Way". City Lab. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
2. Decourcy Hinds, Michael (20 May 1991). "The Primary for Mayor Is Leaving Many in Philadelphia Befuddled". The New York Times. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
3. Lutton, Christine (6 February 1991). "Council veteran awaits the call". The Daily Pennsylvanian. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
4. Schwartz, Maralee (27 January 1991). "FORMER MAYOR RIZZO MAKING ANOTHER BID TO LEAD PHILADELPHIA". The Washington Post. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
5. Decourcy Hinds, Michael (3 August 1991). "Philadelphia Journal; Egan for Mayor. Ah, but Which One?". The New York Times. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
6. "Mayors of the City of Philadelphia 1691-2000". City of Philadelphia. Retrieved 28 April 2019.