1987 Chicago mayoral election


The Chicago mayoral election of 1987 saw the re-election of incumbent Democrat Harold Washington. Partisan primaries were held on February 24, followed by the general election on April 7, 1987. Washington defeated Ed Vrdolyak, the leader of the Vrdolyak 29, who ran on the Illinois Solidarity Party ticket. Former mayor Jane Byrne unsuccessfully challenged Washington in the Democratic primary.

Democratic primary

Candidates

;Ran
;Withdrew

Campaigning

During incumbent Democratic Party mayor Harold Washington's first term, Ed Vrdolyak and many other city Democrats had opposed his efforts as mayor, thus creating the so-called "Council Wars". At one point, Washington considered running for reelection as an independent. He had at one point been widely expected to follow-through on these plans. However, Washington ultimately ran for re-nomination, formally announcing his candidacy on November 30, 1986. Former mayor Jane Byrne had already declared her own candidacy by this time.
Four years earlier Washington had won nomination against divided opposition, and in 1987 faced a more united bloc of opponents. Nevertheless, Washington won the Democratic primary. Former mayor Jane Byrne challenged Washington in the Democratic primary for mayor. Washington had unseated her in the previous Democratic primary. Richard M. Daley, who had been one of Washington's chief opponents in the 1983 primary threw his support behind Washington.
Washington did not attend any debates. Byrne's campaign ads argued that under Washington's tenure racial tensions in Chicago had increased. Byrne's strategy aimed to limit Washington's share of the white vote to a maximum of 10%, while managing to capture 10% of the black vote for herself. Post-election polling indicated that Washington received 96% of the black vote. Polling also indicated that he received 21% of the white vote. Surveys also indicated that turnout in heavily black precincts had increased since the last election, whilst turnout in heavily white precincts had experienced a small decline.
Washington's victory made 1987 the first Chicago mayoral race since the 1975 Chicago mayoral election in which the incumbent mayor won the primary. Also running was Sheila A. Jones, a LaRouche movement devotee.
Cook County assessor Thomas Hynes had originally been running for the Democratic nomination. However, on January 7 he dropped out of the primary. On January 13 he declared that he intended to instead run as the nominee of the "Chicago First" party, a party which he himself had just founded.
He and Edward Vrdolyak opted to prepare for possible third-party runs rather than risk Washington benefiting from a three-way split in the primary election similar to the one in the 1983 primary. Hynes opted to make a third party run after leading Republican operatives persuaded him to do so.

Results

Turnout was 75.68%.
Washington received 96% of the African-American vote, surpassing the 80% in the 1983 election. Washington received 25% of the white vote, rising from 17% he received in 1983.
! colspan="5" rowspan="1" align="center" |Chicago Democratic Party Mayoral Primary, 1987
! colspan="2" rowspan="1" align="left" | Candidate
! width="75" | Votes
! width="30" | %
! width="45" | +/-

Republican primary

Candidates

;Ran
;Disqualified from ballot
;Withdrew
;Declined to run
The following individuals received speculation as prospective candidates, but did not run:

Campaigning

At one point it was believed that, if a federal bribery investigation against members of City Hall had proved damaging enough to Washington, he might face a particularly notable Republican opponent such as former governor Richard B. Ogilvie or former U.S. attorney Dan K. Webb. This did not come into fruition. However, what did come to fruition was simultaneous speculation that Democrats may bolt from their party and challenge Washington as a Republican. Before the election, Donald L. Totten had unsuccessfully attempted to persuade a number of notable figures to run for mayor as a Republican. Webb did, however, agree to lead a county party search committee to help find a willing candidate. The Chicago Tribune reported that many leading Chicago Republicans were disinterested in running because Illinois' Republican governor was unconcerned with the prospects of a Washington re-election, believing that it would result in a continuation of the chaotic Council Wars. Thompson saw his own position of influence in Illinois politics and enhanced by a discordant local government in Chicago. Thompson publicly denied wanting any implication of him desiring a Washington re-election, however. 1983 Republican nominee Bernard Epton announced his candidacy in 1986, but his run was not greeted with any excitement from figures in the county party.
The Republican Party nominated Donald Haider, a business professor and former city budget director. Haider was formerly a Democrat. Totten had recruited him to run. Haider was the only of Totten's recruits to agree to seek the Republican nomination. Haider was the fifth overall Chicago mayoral candidate to be a resident of Edgewater, and would have been the third mayor from Edgewater if he were elected. Haider was endorsed by the city's Republican Party organization on December 4, 1986. Haider narrowly defeated 1983 nominee Bernard Epton for the Cook County Republican Party's endorsement. Despite the county party endorsing Haider, Epton and Democratic state senator Jeremiah E. Joyce indicated their continued intentions to challenge Haider in the party's primary. Neither of them ultimately were on the primary ballot, however. Epton was disqualified from the ballot and Joyce withdrew. Instead, Haider was challenged by Kenneth Hurst, Chester Hornowski, and Ray Wardingley.
Hurst was a self-described Reagan Republican. He ran for mayor on a platform focusing on a wide number of social issues, including opposition to the Equal Rights Amendment, opposition to a gay rights ordinance by the City Council, and opposition to publicly subsidized abortions and the distribution of contraceptives in clinics at public schools. Hornowski ran for mayor on a "law and order" platform, also pledging to end tax hikes and improve the city's schools. He focused his time more heavily on his coinciding aldermanic campaign, admitting that he had little prospect of becoming mayor. Ray Wardingley promoted himself as the candidate representing "the little guy".

Results

Haider won the primary.

Illinois Solidarity nomination

Vrdolyak formally received the Illinois Solidarity nomination in the party's primary, held on February 24. His sole opponent in the primary had been a write-in candidate.

Independents and other third-party candidates

Independent candidate Ronald D. Bartos saw his name removed from the ballot due to issues with his petition.
"Chicago First" nominee Thomas Hynes withdrew two days before the election and threw his support behind Washington's two remaining opponents.

General election

Campaign

Some regarded Washington's modest margin of victory in the Democratic primary as an indicator that he would be vulnerable in the general election.
Initially, Chicago First nominee Hynes polled well. He claimed he was a fresh alternative to the dirty infighting that had defined Chicago politics in recent years. Hynes also talked about being the issue-oriented candidate as opposed to some of the other candidates who allegedly talked about each other. As the election drew close, voters opposed to Mayor Washington rallied behind Vrdolyak, Washington's most fiery opponent. Hynes' support waned. Just two days before the general election, Hynes dropped out, leaving Vrdolyak and Haider as Washington's remaining opponents. Hynes did not throw his support to any of the remaining candidates, but suggested that either Vrdolyak or Haider should also drop out make it a one-on-one race against Washington.
During the campaign, in a desperate bid for press, Republican nominee Haider rode an elephant down State Street.
Civil rights activist Coretta Scott King, widow of Martin Luther King Jr., campaigned for Washington in predominately African-American neighborhoods throughout the city, most notably at the city's public housing complexes.

Results

Washington won a plurality of the vote in 27 of Chicago's 50 wards. Vrdolyak won a plurality in 23 wards.
Results by ward