1961 Philadelphia municipal election

None October 2016 1961 Philadelphia municipal election Philadelphia presidential no 1959 1963 November 7, 1961 Philadelphia's municipal election of November 7, 1961, involved the election of the district attorney, city controller, and several judgeships. Democrats swept all of the city races but saw their vote totals much reduced from those of four years earlier, owing to a growing graft scandal in city government. District Attorney James C. Crumlish, Jr. and City Controller Alexander Hemphill, both incumbents, were returned to office. Several ballot questions were also approved, including one permitting limited sales of alcohol on Sundays. Background thumb|Easily reelected in 1959, Mayor Richardson Dilworth grew less popular by 1961. In 1957 and 1959, Philadelphia Democrats had achieved citywide victories over the Republicans, capping a string of electoral wins that had begun in 1951.Freedman 1963 II–31–II–33 Their 1959 victory, especially, indicated a complete domination of the city's politics as Mayor Richardson Dilworth carried 58 of 59 wards in his reelection bid; he and other Democrats running for citywide seats took nearly two-thirds of the vote.Freedman 1963 II–31–II–33 It was followed up by a resounding success in the presidential election of 1960, when Democratic Senator John F. Kennedy carried the state thanks to a 330,000-vote majority in Philadelphia.Inquirer 1961f The coalition of independent reformers and organization Democrats looked to further increase their success in 1961, with Democratic City Committee chairman William J. Green, Jr., predicting a margin of 100,000 votes in the off-year election.Inquirer 1961f As the election neared, however, some cracks began to show in the Democrats' dominance. Dilworth held a neighborhood meeting to announce a plan to charge for parking in South Philadelphia, and was pelted with rocks and garbage in a near-riot.Freedman 1963 II–32Goulden Thomas Collins 1961 Even more embarrassing to a party that had been elected on a platform of reform was an investigation that year into political corruption and bribery in City Hall.Freedman 1963 II–32 Republicans demanded that a grand jury be convened to investigate further, but Judge Raymond Pace Alexander (who had served as a Democratic city councilman from 1952 to 1959) rejected their petition.Freedman 1963 II–32 While Green asked voters for "indorsement for continuance in office on solid accomplishments," Republican City Committee chairman Wilbur H. Hamilton drew attention to the scandals and called the erstwhile reform movement a "broken idol" that "promised much and delivered little."Green 1961 Hamilton 1961 District Attorney thumb|1961 Philadelphia District Attorney's race by ward, with Crumlish in blue and Smith in red Philadelphia elects a district attorney independently of the mayor, in a system that predates the charter change.Freedman 1963 II–6 Since 1957, district attorney elections have followed mayoral and city council elections by two years.Reichly 1959 39 In that year, Philadelphians reelected Victor H. Blanc as District Attorney of Philadelphia by a thirteen-percentage-point margin. Three years later, Governor David L. Lawrence appointed Blanc to the court of common pleas.Freedman 1963 II–33 Blanc's first assistant, Paul M. Chalfin, served as acting district attorney while the common pleas judges decided on a replacement who would serve until the 1961 election.Freedman 1963 II–34 The fight for the interim post became a battle between political factions with Green's preferred candidate, James C. Crumlish, Jr., getting the judges' approval in March 1961. Crumlish ran for a full four-year term that fall.Freedman 1963 II–34 Republicans nominated Theodore B. Smith, Jr., a former assistant district attorney who had been in private practice since 1958, without primary opposition.Miller 1961 3Inquirer 1961a Smith and the Republicans accused Crumlish of being a tool of the Democratic party machine and said that he covered up corruption in the graft investigation.Goulden 1961 1 Democrats were confident of an easy victory for Crumlish, but he won by just 47,000 votes. The margin was far less than expected and the worst showing for Democrats in a district attorney contest since 1947.Inquirer 1961f Crumlish trailed all citywide Democratic candidates, which The Philadelphia Inquirer reporter Joseph C. Goulden attributed to the growing perception of corruption in the party, and in the district attorney's office in particular.Goulden 1961 4 Philadelphia District Attorney election, 1961Bulletin Almanac 1962 32 Democratic Party (United States) James C. Crumlish, Jr. 335,806 53.90 -2.33 Republican Party (United States) Theodore B. Smith, Jr. 287,252 46.10 +2.33 City Controller Philadelphia elects a City Controller to sit at the head of an independent auditing department. The Controller approves all payments made out of the city treasury and audits the executive departments.Committee of Seventy 1980 71–72 As an independently elected official, the Controller is not responsible to the mayor or the city council.Committee of Seventy 1980 71–72 The office was created under the 1919 City Charter and later given expanded powers as one of the good-government reforms intended to reduce the corruption that had previously plagued city government and led to the reform coalition of 1951.Committee of Seventy 1980 71–72 Democrat Alexander Hemphill had been elected to the office in 1957 and ran for reelection. He was a lawyer with a long history of involvement in Democratic politics who had worked with reformers in the campaigns that ultimately defeated the Republican organization in 1951. Hemphill was the organization's nominee in 1957, but often clashed with Dilworth and others. His investigation had brought to light the initial evidence leading to the graft charges against members of his own party.Inquirer 1961a Hemphill's opponent was Joseph C. Bruno, a West Philadelphia lawyer, who fended off a surprisingly strong primary protest vote for Joseph A. Schafer, an accountant from Northeast Philadelphia.Miller 1961 3 Despite Hemphill's investigation into the alleged misconduct, the Democratic Party's scandals reduced his totals as well, though still giving him a 55,000-vote victory over Bruno.Goulden 1961 1 Hemphill continued in office until 1967, when he resigned to run for mayor.Inquirer 1986 Philadelphia City Controller election, 1961Bulletin Almanac 1962 32 Democratic Party (United States) Alexander Hemphill 340,164 54.54 -2.42 Republican Party (United States) Joseph C. Bruno 283,583 45.46 +2.42 Judges and magistrates Although Pennsylvania's judges are elected in partisan elections, there had been a tradition of not challenging the re-election of incumbents. To that end, judicial candidates were typically endorsed by both major parties but in 1953 Democrats broke the informal pact and endorsed just three of the sitting judges, resulting in an unusually intense contest.Inquirer 1953 By 1957, the old order was mostly re-established as all but one of the sitting judges were endorsed for re-election by both parties and returned to office without opposition.Miller 1957 In 1961, four common pleas court judges and two orphans' court judges were on the ballot, and all were cross-endorsed in accordance with the sitting-judge principle.Inquirer 1961a All were reelected to ten-year terms, including Victor H. Blanc, the former district attorney.Inquirer 1961c There were also seven seats open for magistrate, a local court, the duties of which have since been superseded by the Philadelphia Municipal Court. In the magistrate races, a limited voting law meant that each political party could nominate four candidates, and voters could only vote for four, with the result being that the majority party could only take four of the seven seats, leaving three for the minority party.Inquirer 1961a The Democrats took the maximum number of four magistracies, with all four of their incumbents being reelected, led by Harry C. Schwartz.Inquirer 1961d The remaining three seats went to Republicans, with one spot going to the only GOP incumbent on the ballot, Thomas A. Connor.Inquirer 1961d The other two Republicans elected were 42nd Ward leader John P. Walsh and former police captain Luke A. McBride, who edged out court stenographer George J. Woods.Inquirer 1961d Ballot questions At the May primary, two referendums were proposed; the first would permit Sunday alcohol sales in hotels that had liquor licenses, the second would borrow $10 million for school construction. Both passed, gathering 67.6% and 75.9% of the vote, respectively.Miller 1961 1 In November, five more questions were on the ballot, all asking the voters' permission to borrow money for various infrastructure improvements.Inquirer 1961a All five, approving a total of $65 million in loans, passed by a two-to-one margin.Inquirer 1961e Aftermath The 1961 election confirmed the Democrats in power, but their reduced margins and increased association with machine politics signaled the beginning of the end for the party's coalition with independent good government reformers.Freedman 1963 II–51–II–52 Dilworth, in particular, saw the election as a warning sign, telling the party that they must "watch your Ps and Qs" to avoid further setbacks.Inquirer 1961b Even so, Green's control over federal patronage through the Kennedy administration and Dilworth's resignation in 1962 to run for governor left the Democratic Party fully in the hands of the ward leaders.Freedman 1963 II–51–II–52 References 25em Sources Books Bulletin Almanac 1962 1962 The Philadelphia Bulletin Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 8641470 Bulletin Almanac 1962 Freedman Robert L. A Report on Politics in Philadelphia 1963 Joint Center for Urban Studies of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University Cambridge, Massachusetts https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/001150726 1690059 Reichly James The Art of Government: Reform and Organization Politics in Philadelphia 1959 Fund for The Republic New York, New York https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/001150728 994205 Newspapers Sitting Judge Policy 'Scrapped' By Democrats; GOP Offers Slate The Philadelphia Inquirer March 15, 1953 1, 12 https://www.newspapers.com/image/172617762 Newspapers.com Inquirer 1953 Democrats Take Every Office in City Miller Joseph H. The Philadelphia Inquirer November 6, 1957 1, 3 https://www.newspapers.com/image/178015354/ Newspapers.com Sunday Liquor Sales, School Bonds Voted; Greenlee Easy Victor Miller Joseph H. The Philadelphia Inquirer May 17, 1961 1, 3 https://www.newspapers.com/image/178329872/ Newspapers.com Rock Barrage Imperils Dilworth As 2000 Protest His Parking Plan Goulden Joseph C. Thomas Robert Collins William The Philadelphia Inquirer July 25, 1961 1, 3 https://www.newspapers.com/image/178349163/ Newspapers.com Nearly a Million Can Vote The Philadelphia Inquirer October 30, 1961 https://www.newspapers.com/image/178357386/ 3 Newspapers.com Inquirer 1961a Opposing Party Chiefs Both Predict Victory (1) Green William J. William J. Green, Jr. The Philadelphia Inquirer November 5, 1961 12 https://www.newspapers.com/image/179299602 Newspapers.com Opposing Party Chiefs Both Predict Victory (2) Hamilton Wilbur H. Wilbur H. Hamilton The Philadelphia Inquirer November 5, 1961 12 https://www.newspapers.com/image/179299602 Newspapers.com Crumlish Draws Smallest Vote of Top City Winners Goulden Joseph C. The Philadelphia Inquirer November 8, 1961 1, 4 https://www.newspapers.com/image/178349163/ Newspapers.com Vote Warns Party To Mind Ps and Qs, Mayor Says The Philadelphia Inquirer November 8, 1961 4 https://www.newspapers.com/image/179313681/ Newspapers.com Inquirer 1961b Six Judges Win 10-Year Terms The Philadelphia Inquirer November 8, 1961 5 https://www.newspapers.com/image/179313765 Newspapers.com Inquirer 1961c 5 Incumbents Are Re-Elected as Magistrates The Philadelphia Inquirer November 8, 1961 12 https://www.newspapers.com/image/179314121 Newspapers.com Inquirer 1961d Loan Questions in Phila. Gain 2-to-1 Approval The Philadelphia Inquirer November 8, 1961 11 https://www.newspapers.com/image/179314059 Newspapers.com Inquirer 1961e GOP Resurgence: Green Setback The Philadelphia Inquirer November 9, 1961 18 https://www.newspapers.com/image/179318292/ Newspapers.com Inquirer 1961f Alexander Hemphill, 64; served as city controller The Philadelphia Inquirer January 31, 1986 17-C https://www.newspapers.com/image/169324157/ Newspapers.com Inquirer 1986 Report The Charter: A History Committee of Seventy Committee of Seventy 1980 https://www.seventy.org/uploads/files/127709242549666483-1980-charter-history.pdf Philadelphia June 13, 2017 October 21, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20161021212300/https://www.seventy.org/uploads/files/127709242549666483-1980-charter-history.pdf dead Philadelphia Category:1961 in Pennsylvania Category:1960s in Philadelphia Category:November 1961 in the United States Category:Municipal elections in Philadelphia