The Mayor

Mayor

In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....

al election of 1969 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

was held on Tuesday

Election Day (United States)

Election Day in the United States is the day set by law for the general elections of public officials. It occurs on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. The earliest possible date is November 2 and the latest possible date is November 8...

, November 6, 1969. The incumbent mayor, Joe Barr

Joseph M. Barr

Joseph M. Barr served as Mayor of Pittsburgh from 1959 to 1970.-Early life:Barr was born in Pittsburgh to a large family. He started his career as a salesman in the city. In 1940 he became the state's youngest state senator serving the region in Harrisburg. His career in Harrisburg roughly...

 of the Democratic Party

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

 chose not to run for his third term.

Primary elections

Outspoken City Councilman Pete Flaherty won the Democratic Primary, despite strong opposition from the city's aging party machine. He ran an aggressive campaign and characterized himself to the public as a reform. Court of Common Pleas Judge Harry Kramer, the endorsed candidate, launched a series of sharp personal attacks on Flaherty, which undermined his own campaign and hastened his defeat.

General election

A total of 181,522 votes were cast. As is typical in the heavily Democratic city, Flaherty won by over 30 points. The Republican nominee was John Tabor, the state's last Secretary of Internal Affairs (under the 1968 Pennsylvania Constitution, this elected position, considered to be the state's third highest office, was eliminiated).