Lancaster, Pennsylvania mayoral election, 2009
Encyclopedia
An election for mayor
of the City of Lancaster
in Pennsylvania
was held on November 3, 2009. Incumbent Mayor Rick Gray
, a Democrat
, defeated challenger Charles W. "Charlie" Smithgall
, a Republican
by 313 votes, out of 7,261 cast. http://www.danielklotz.com/mayor-gray-re-elected-by-313-votes/
Gray announced his intention to seek a second term as mayor on December 17, 2008. Former two-term mayor Charles W. "Charlie" Smithgall, who had initially declined to run, won the Republican primary
by write-in
vote by supporters. Smithgall, who was in office from 1998 until 2006, was not a declared candidate in the primary. Smithgall announced on June 26, 2009, that he would accept the nomination.
Smithgall sought to seek a third term in the 2005 mayoral election. His Democratic challenger during that election was Rick Gray
, a lawyer. The 2005 campaign between Smithgall and Gray was the most expensive mayoral election in Lancaster's history. Smithgall and Gray raised a combined $229,000 for their campaigns: Smithgall raised $146,792 and Gray $82,072. In a surprise outcome, Smithgall, an early favorite for re-election, was defeated by Gray by 16 percentage points.
as well.
Smithgall initially declined a potential rematch with Gray, leaving no Republican challenger. However, a grassroots campaign was launched by supporters of the former mayor to support him as a write-in candidate in the Republican primary. Despite the efforts by supporters to draft him into the election, Smithgall remained out of the mayoral race until after the May 2009 primary. Smithgall received 227 write-in votes from supporters in the primary. Smithgall's supporters needed 100 votes to draft him as their write-in candidate and validate a potential candidacy.
After some consideration, Smithgall entered the race and officially announced his candidacy on June 26, 2009.
Unlike the 2005 election, Gray has outraised and outspent Smithgall by nearly five times between June 2009 and October 2009. Gray had raised in $33,908 and had approximately $20,805 in cash on hand as of October 19, 2009. By contrast, Smithgall raised just $6,900 and had just $519 dollars in cash on hand during the same time period.
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of the City of Lancaster
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster is a city in the south-central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Lancaster County and one of the older inland cities in the United States, . With a population of 59,322, it ranks eighth in population among Pennsylvania's cities...
in 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 November 3, 2009. Incumbent Mayor Rick Gray
Rick Gray
J. Richard "Rick" Gray is a lawyer and politician who has been mayor of Lancaster, Pennsylvania since January 3, 2006.-Personal life:Born in Pottsville, Pennsylvania his father's profession took his family to Harrisburg at a young age, where he attended school and graduated high school. His father...
, a Democrat
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...
, defeated challenger Charles W. "Charlie" Smithgall
Charlie Smithgall
Charles W. "Charlie" Smithgall is an American politician, pharmacist and businessman. Smithgall served as the Mayor of Lancaster, Pennsylvania for two-terms from January 1998 until January 3, 2006...
, a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
by 313 votes, out of 7,261 cast. http://www.danielklotz.com/mayor-gray-re-elected-by-313-votes/
Gray announced his intention to seek a second term as mayor on December 17, 2008. Former two-term mayor Charles W. "Charlie" Smithgall, who had initially declined to run, won the Republican primary
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
by write-in
Write-in candidate
A write-in candidate is a candidate in an election whose name does not appear on the ballot, but for whom voters may vote nonetheless by writing in the person's name. Some states and local jurisdictions allow a voter to affix a sticker with a write-in candidate's name on it to the ballot in lieu...
vote by supporters. Smithgall, who was in office from 1998 until 2006, was not a declared candidate in the primary. Smithgall announced on June 26, 2009, that he would accept the nomination.
Election background
Smithgall was first elected to office in 1997, easily defeating his Democratic opponent, attorney Jon Lyons, with 52 to 36 percent of the vote. Smithgall won re-election for a second term in the 2001 mayoral election against Democrat Ed Ruoff.Smithgall sought to seek a third term in the 2005 mayoral election. His Democratic challenger during that election was Rick Gray
Rick Gray
J. Richard "Rick" Gray is a lawyer and politician who has been mayor of Lancaster, Pennsylvania since January 3, 2006.-Personal life:Born in Pottsville, Pennsylvania his father's profession took his family to Harrisburg at a young age, where he attended school and graduated high school. His father...
, a lawyer. The 2005 campaign between Smithgall and Gray was the most expensive mayoral election in Lancaster's history. Smithgall and Gray raised a combined $229,000 for their campaigns: Smithgall raised $146,792 and Gray $82,072. In a surprise outcome, Smithgall, an early favorite for re-election, was defeated by Gray by 16 percentage points.
2009 campaign
Gray announced his intention to seek a second term as mayor on December 17, 2008. He was unopposed in the Democratic primary and initially had no Republican opposition in the general electionGeneral election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
as well.
Smithgall initially declined a potential rematch with Gray, leaving no Republican challenger. However, a grassroots campaign was launched by supporters of the former mayor to support him as a write-in candidate in the Republican primary. Despite the efforts by supporters to draft him into the election, Smithgall remained out of the mayoral race until after the May 2009 primary. Smithgall received 227 write-in votes from supporters in the primary. Smithgall's supporters needed 100 votes to draft him as their write-in candidate and validate a potential candidacy.
After some consideration, Smithgall entered the race and officially announced his candidacy on June 26, 2009.
Unlike the 2005 election, Gray has outraised and outspent Smithgall by nearly five times between June 2009 and October 2009. Gray had raised in $33,908 and had approximately $20,805 in cash on hand as of October 19, 2009. By contrast, Smithgall raised just $6,900 and had just $519 dollars in cash on hand during the same time period.