Pittsburgh mayoral election, 1949
Encyclopedia
The Mayor
al election of 1949 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
was held on Tuesday
, November 8, 1949. David Lawrence
of the Democratic Party
was reelected to a second term. Despite commanding a powerful position within both local politics and the state party, Lawrence faced a major primary challenge after he failed to gain the endorsement of the AFL-CIO
. However, he achieved a moderate victory over union leader Ed Leonard, in part due to the surprising support of the Republican business community, who supported Lawrence's urban renewal projects. After the primary scare, Lawrence defeated Republican Timothy "Tice" Ryan by the biggest margin in city mayoral history at the time.
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 1949 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 8, 1949. David Lawrence
David L. Lawrence
David Leo Lawrence was an American politician who served as the 37th Governor of Pennsylvania from 1959 to 1963. He is to date the only mayor of Pittsburgh to be elected Governor of Pennsylvania. Previously, he had been the mayor of Pittsburgh from 1946 through 1959...
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...
was reelected to a second term. Despite commanding a powerful position within both local politics and the state party, Lawrence faced a major primary challenge after he failed to gain the endorsement of the AFL-CIO
AFL-CIO
The 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...
. However, he achieved a moderate victory over union leader Ed Leonard, in part due to the surprising support of the Republican business community, who supported Lawrence's urban renewal projects. After the primary scare, Lawrence defeated Republican Timothy "Tice" Ryan by the biggest margin in city mayoral history at the time.