1989 Los Angeles mayoral election

The 1989 Los Angeles mayoral election took place on April 11, 1989. Incumbent Tom Bradley was re-elected over ten candidates in the primary election. It would be the last time Bradley ran for mayor, as he chose to retire after his fifth term.[1]

1989 Los Angeles mayoral election

← 1985 April 11, 1989 (1989-04-11) 1993 →
 
Candidate Tom Bradley Nate Holden Baxter Ward
Popular vote 165,599 89,184 48,923
Percentage 51.90% 27.95% 15.33%

Mayor before election

Tom Bradley

Elected Mayor

Tom Bradley

Municipal elections in California, including Mayor of Los Angeles, are officially nonpartisan; candidates' party affiliations do not appear on the ballot.[2]

Election

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Bradley, now in his fourth term, was slowly declining in popularity during his term due to traffic congestion, air pollution, and commercial development threatening residential neighborhoods in the city.[3] He had also run in the 1986 California gubernatorial election, which he lost again to Republican George Deukmejian in a landslide.[4] Despite this, Bradley announced that he would be running for a fifth term.[5][6] He faced minimal opposition at the start, with councilman Zev Yaroslavsky declining to run because of a private poll that had Bradley in the lead.[7] Bradley was widely expected to easily win re-election.[8] Councilman Nate Holden and former supervisor Baxter Ward filed late into the filing period, giving Bradley two challengers.[9] Holden, who was a newcomer in the City Council, was able to drive up some votes, and in the primary election gained one-third of the vote.[10]

Results

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Los Angeles mayoral general election, April 11, 1989[11]
Candidate Votes %
Tom Bradley (incumbent) 165,599 51.90
Nate Holden 89,184 27.95
Baxter Ward 48,923 15.33
Raul Reyes 3,962 1.24
Maria Elizabeth Muñoz 2,843 0.89
Eileen Anderson 2,700 0.85%
Stewart Alexander 2,691 0.84
Joel Britton 1,311 0.41
Khushro Ghandi 1,227 0.39
Leonard Miropol 501 0.16
Gary Passi 147 0.05
Total votes 319,088 100.00

References and footnotes

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  1. ^ "Bradley calls it quits". Santa Cruz Sentinel. September 25, 1992.
  2. ^ "LOS ANGELES: STRUCTURE OF A CITY GOVERNMENT" (PDF). League of Women Voters.
  3. ^ "Angelenos applaud Mayor Bradley in poll". The Desert Sun. February 21, 1989.
  4. ^ "Bradley ready to file for 5th term as mayor". The Desert Sun. January 11, 1989.
  5. ^ "Beaming Tom Bradley starts bid for sth term". The Desert Sun. February 2, 1989.
  6. ^ "Tom Bradley seeks fifth term as LA mayor". Santa Cruz Sentinel. April 9, 1989.
  7. ^ "Bradley's popularity drives foe from race". The Desert Sun. January 7, 1989.
  8. ^ "Bradley breezing to re-election". The Press Democrat. January 20, 1989.
  9. ^ "LA's mayor picks up last-minute challenge". Santa Cruz Sentinel. January 15, 1989.
  10. ^ "Bradley heads toward fifth term as LA mayor". Santa Cruz Sentinel. April 12, 1989.
  11. ^ "Los Angeles Mayor". Our Campaigns.
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