New Orleans mayoral election, 1986
Encyclopedia
The New Orleans mayoral election of 1986 resulted in the election of the black Democrat
Sidney Barthelemy
as mayor.
—with the exception of U.S. Presidential and Congressional elections—follow a variation of the open primary system. Candidates of any and all parties are listed on one ballot; voters need not limit themselves to the candidates of one party. Unless one candidate takes more than 50 percent of the vote in the first round, a run-off election is then held between the top two candidates, who may in fact be members of the same party. In this election, the first round of voting was held on February 1, 1986, and the runoff was held on March 1.
Barthelemy spent 1.7 million on the campaign; Jefferson spent 1.3 million.
Jefferson led in most majority black precincts, taking almost 70% of the black vote. Barthelemy won only about 20% of the black vote. While LeBlanc got slightly over half the white votes, Barthelemy also did well in white neighborhoods and so LeBlanc was unable to make the runoff.
Runoff, March 1
In the runoff, the big question was where Sam LeBlanc’s white voters would go. Though LeBlanc didn’t make an endorsement, most white voters switched to Barthelemy in the runoff. Barthelemy got 86% of white voters and 30% of black voters; while Jefferson received most black votes and got minimal white support.
and Dutch Morial - who were first elected by a combination of a minority of white voters and an overwhelming proportion of the black electorate - Barthelemy won election against a candidate most blacks preferred by appealing to the vast majority of white voters.
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...
Sidney Barthelemy
Sidney Barthelemy
Sidney John Barthelemy is a former American political figure. He served as Democratic mayor of New Orleans from 1986 to 1994...
as mayor.
Background
Elections in LouisianaLouisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
—with the exception of U.S. Presidential and Congressional elections—follow a variation of the open primary system. Candidates of any and all parties are listed on one ballot; voters need not limit themselves to the candidates of one party. Unless one candidate takes more than 50 percent of the vote in the first round, a run-off election is then held between the top two candidates, who may in fact be members of the same party. In this election, the first round of voting was held on February 1, 1986, and the runoff was held on March 1.
Candidates
- Sidney BarthelemySidney BarthelemySidney John Barthelemy is a former American political figure. He served as Democratic mayor of New Orleans from 1986 to 1994...
– a city councilor since 1978 (New Orleans's first black councilor-at-large), who had been a fierce rival of outgoing mayor Dutch Morial for nearly a decade. Barthelemy was endorsed by the powerful black political organizations SOULSoulA soul in certain spiritual, philosophical, and psychological traditions is the incorporeal essence of a person or living thing or object. Many philosophical and spiritual systems teach that humans have souls, and others teach that all living things and even inanimate objects have souls. The...
and COUP. He ran on a promise to "bring this divided city together."
- William J. JeffersonWilliam J. JeffersonWilliam Jennings "Bill" Jefferson is a former American politician, and a published author from the U.S. state of Louisiana. He served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for nine terms from 1991 to 2009 as a member of the Democratic Party. He represented , which includes much of the...
, a Louisiana state Senator and later congressman who had run unsuccessfully against Dutch Morial in the 1982 mayoral race. This time, Jefferson was endorsed by Morial and his LIFE organization, as well as by the city's black Protestant clergy and by the AFL-CIOAFL-CIOThe American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, commonly AFL–CIO, is a national trade union center, the largest federation of unions in the United States, made up of 56 national and international unions, together representing more than 11 million workers...
. He promised a strengthened minority set-aside program, improved public housing, no legalized gambling, and economic development.
- lawyer Sam LeBlanc, a Louisiana State Representative from 1972 to 1980 and chairman of the Regional Transit AuthorityNew Orleans Regional Transit AuthorityThe New Orleans Regional Transit Authority is a body established by the Louisiana State Legislature in 1979; since 1983 it has controlled bus and streetcar service in the City of New Orleans....
under Dutch Morial. A former director of the Chamber of Commerce, LeBlanc ran on a pro-business platform which stressed economic development, rejuvenation of the port, a new city charter, and expansion of the police department and district attorney's office. LeBlanc was the only major white candidate. LeBlanc's campaign was managed by his half brother Robert E. "Rob" Couhig, Jr.Rob CouhigRobert Emmet Couhig, Jr., known as Rob Couhig , is an attorney, businessman, entrepreneur, Republican political activist, and a former radio talk show host from New Orleans, Louisiana. His last political foray was into the 2010 New Orleans mayoral election.A former partner of the Adams and Reese...
, a RepublicanRepublican 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...
lawyer and businessman who would also contest the New Orleans mayoral race in 2006.
- Rudy Lombard, a businessman and veteran of the civil rights movement who emphasized housing and education issues which were underplayed by the three leading candidates.
- Terry HardyTerry HardyTerry R. Hardy is a former professional American football player who played tight end for four seasons for the Arizona Cardinals....
, an oil refinery worker running as the candidate of the Socialist Workers PartySocialist Workers Party (United States)The Socialist Workers Party is a far-left political organization in the United States. The group places a priority on "solidarity work" to aid strikes and is strongly supportive of Cuba...
.
- Ben Rauch, president of the Magazine Street Merchants Association
Campaign
The election campaign began in earnest after voters rejected a charter amendment which would have allowed Dutch Morial to run for a third term. Early in the primary campaign, polls showed Barthelemy with a 21 point lead over Jefferson, but Jefferson's endorsement by Morial and the support of Morial's political organization LIFE enabled him to take much of Barthelemy's support in the black community. Later, though, Morial's endorsement hurt Jefferson in the runoff as white voters overwhelmingly chose the opponent of 'the Morial candidate.'Barthelemy spent 1.7 million on the campaign; Jefferson spent 1.3 million.
Results
Primary, February 1| Candidate | Votes received | Percentage of votes cast |
|---|---|---|
| William J. Jefferson William J. Jefferson William Jennings "Bill" Jefferson is a former American politician, and a published author from the U.S. state of Louisiana. He served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for nine terms from 1991 to 2009 as a member of the Democratic Party. He represented , which includes much of the... |
62,333 | 38.6% |
| Sidney Barthelemy Sidney Barthelemy Sidney John Barthelemy is a former American political figure. He served as Democratic mayor of New Orleans from 1986 to 1994... |
53,961 | 33.4% |
| Sam LeBlanc | 40,963 | 25.2% |
| Rudy Lombard | 3721 | 2.4% |
| Terry Hardy Terry Hardy Terry R. Hardy is a former professional American football player who played tight end for four seasons for the Arizona Cardinals.... |
373 | 0.2% |
| Ben Rauch | 278 | 0.2% |
Jefferson led in most majority black precincts, taking almost 70% of the black vote. Barthelemy won only about 20% of the black vote. While LeBlanc got slightly over half the white votes, Barthelemy also did well in white neighborhoods and so LeBlanc was unable to make the runoff.
Runoff, March 1
| Candidate | Votes received | Percentage of votes cast |
|---|---|---|
| Sidney Barthelemy | 93,050 | 58% |
| Bill Jefferson | 67,680 | 42% |
In the runoff, the big question was where Sam LeBlanc’s white voters would go. Though LeBlanc didn’t make an endorsement, most white voters switched to Barthelemy in the runoff. Barthelemy got 86% of white voters and 30% of black voters; while Jefferson received most black votes and got minimal white support.
Significance of the election
The election was a milestone in many respects. 1986 marked the first time in which the runoff featured two black candidates. It was also the first time that the majority of the voting population (51%) was African-American. The city's white electorate became swing voters; the combination of part of the African-American electorate and white voters won Barthelemy the runoff. Unlike his two immediate predecessors Moon LandrieuMoon Landrieu
Maurice Edwin "Moon" Landrieu is a Democratic politician from Louisiana who served as Mayor of New Orleans from 1970–1978. He also is a former judge...
and Dutch Morial - who were first elected by a combination of a minority of white voters and an overwhelming proportion of the black electorate - Barthelemy won election against a candidate most blacks preferred by appealing to the vast majority of white voters.
Sources
- The New Orleans Times Picayune. February 2-3, March 2-3, 1986.
- Board of Supervisors of Elections for the Parish of Orleans. Election Returns of Orleans Parish, 1986.
- Haas, Edward F. “Political Continuity in the Crescent City: Toward an Interpretation of New Orleans Politics, 1874-1986.” Louisiana History 1998, 39:1.
- Hirsch, Arnold. “Simply a Matter of Black and White: The Transformation of Race and Politics in Twentieth-Century New Orleans.” Found in Arnold Hirsch and Joseph Logsdon’s Creole New Orleans: Race and Americanization. LSU Press, 1992.