1979 Birmingham municipal election
The 1979 Birmingham municipal election for the city of Birmingham was held on October 9, 1979 with five challengers vying for the mayor's office held by incumbent David Vann. Richard Arrington, Jr won the October 31 runoff against Vann to become the city's first African-American mayor.
After David Herring won the Council primary, eight candidates remained to campaign for the four open seats on the Birmingham City Council.
Arrington, a 45-year old City Councilman and former Dean of Miles College was drafted by a group of African American leaders including Abraham Woods, Jr and E. W. Jarrett during a meeting on August 23, 1979 at Trinity Baptist Church. They were reacting specifically to Vann's inaction following the police shooting of 17-year-old Bonita Carter. The controversy deeply eroded Vann's support in the black community.
Although he raised only $19,000 in campaign funding and was a reluctant campaigner, Arrington secured broad support with a strong record on the City Council, having focused his efforts on reforming police procedures and involving more African Americans in city government. By contrast, Vann had a war chest of $84,000 and fellow City Council member John Katopodis had $25,000 to spend. Other candidates included former WBRC-6 community affairs reporter and City Council member Larry Langford, Don Black, a white supremacist and former Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard, and Mohammed Oliver, the nominee of the Socialist Workers' Party.
Arrington won 44 percent of the votes in the general election, by far the most for any single candidate. The nearest challenger was attorney Frank Parsons, who captured nearly 17% of ballots. During the runoff between Arrington and Parsons, Vann made no endorsements, but did make known his intention of voting for Arrington. About 15% of white voters joined an overwhelming majority of black in giving Arrington a slim victory in the October 30 runoff. Arrington was sworn in as the city's first black mayor on November 13, 1979.
Results
Mayoral election
- Richard Arrington, Jr: 31,521 votes (43.9%, runoff)
- Frank Parsons: 12,135 votes (16.9%, runoff)
- John Katopodis: 12,038 votes (16.8%)
- David Vann, incumbent: 11,450 votes (15.9%)
- Larry Langford: 2,856 votes (4%)
- Don Black: 1,771 votes (2.4%)
- Mohammed Oliver: 69 votes (0.1%)
Voter turnout was 55%, with approximately 71,640 ballots cast (out of 139,254 registered voters).
Runoff
- Arrington: 44,859 votes (51.1%)
- Parsons: 42,814 (48.9%)
Voter turnout was higher for the runoff, with 56% of registered white voters and 71% of registered black voters appearing at the polls.
City Council election
- As top vote-getter, David Herring won a four-year term without having to campaign in the run-off.
Runoff
- Russell Yarbrough, 47,988 votes (4 year term)
- Pete Clifford, 46,974 votes (4 year term)
- Jeff Germany, 42,768 votes (4 year term)
- William Bell, 42,080 votes (2 year term)
- Jesse Stewart
- Richard Andrews
- Andy Smith
- Clyde Kirby
References
- "Black wins B'ham race" (October 31, 1979) Tuscaloosa News
- Casey, Ron (1979) "The Election of Birmingham's Black Mayor" Southern Changes: The Journal of the Southern Regional Council. Vol. 2, No. 3
- Franklin, Jimmie Lewis (1989) "Back to Birmingham: Richard Arrington Jr, and His Times" Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press
- Allers, Robyn, ed. (1999) Birmingham: A City Born Again: The Arrington Years 1979-1999. Birmingham: Elements/Jesse J. Lewis and Associates
- Thornton, J. Mills (2002) "Dividing Lines: Municipal Politics and the Struggle for Civil Rights in Montgomery, Birmingham, and Selma" Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press. ISBN 9780817311704
External links
- Larry Langford's 1979 stump speech at Thomas School on YouTube.com