1959 Philadelphia municipal election

After taking control of the city government in 1951, Democrats consolidated their majorities with further success in 1955 and 1957. They hoped to continue the victories made possible by the continuing coalition of reform-minded independents and the Democratic organization led by Democratic City Committee chairman William J. Green Jr., but tension between the two groups had begun to increase by 1959 as more of the jobs and elected offices went to organization men, with reformers being increasingly marginalized.{{sfn|Reichly|1959|pp=38–41}} The Republican organization had largely collapsed after the 1955 defeat, but looked to rebuild and consolidate under the leadership of former sheriff Austin Meehan.{{sfn|Freedman|1963|pp=II–35}} However, as political scientist Robert Freedman wrote several years later, "there was not much left to consolidate."{{sfn|Freedman|1963|pp=II–35}} The Philadelphia Inquirer noted the dire condition of the Republicans while predicting a major Democratic victory: "the Republican organization has been on the border of collapse during the last few years and it is probable that it will not man a number of polling places on Election Day."{{sfn|Inquirer 1959b}}

{{Infobox election

| election_name = 1959 Philadelphia mayoral election

| country = Philadelphia

| type = presidential

| ongoing = no

| turnout = 69%{{cite web |title=Voter Turnout in U.S. Mayoral Elections Is Pathetic, But It Wasn't Always This Way |last=Denvir |first=Daniel |url=https://www.citylab.com/equity/2015/05/mayoral-election-voting-turnout/393737/#disqus_thread |website= City Lab|access-date=April 28, 2019 |date=May 22, 2015}}

| previous_election = 1955 Philadelphia mayoral election

| previous_year = 1955

| next_election = 1963 Philadelphia mayoral election

| next_year = 1963

| election_date = November 3, 1959

| image1 = 160x160px

| nominee1 = Richardson Dilworth

| party1 = Democratic Party (United States)

| popular_vote1 = 438,237

| percentage1 = 65.34%

| image2 = 160x160px

| nominee2 = Harold Stassen

| party2 = Republican Party (United States)

| popular_vote2 = 229,818

| percentage2 = 34.28%

| map_image =1959PhiladelphiaMayorByWard.png

| map_size =

| map_caption = Ward-level results in the mayor's race, with Dilworth in blue and Stassen in red

| title = Mayor

| before_election = Richardson Dilworth

| before_party = Democratic Party (United States)

| after_election = Richardson Dilworth

| after_party = Democratic Party (United States)

}}

In the mayor's race, incumbent Democrat Richardson Dilworth ran for reelection against Republican Harold Stassen.{{sfn|Miller|1959b}} After service in World War I and a law degree from Yale, Dilworth practiced law in Philadelphia.{{sfn|Mayer|2010|p=149}} He and Joseph S. Clark Jr., were allies in the anti-corruption reform effort that had swept the city eight years earlier in coalition with the Democratic political organization.{{sfn|Mayer|2010|p=149}} Dilworth had run for mayor unsuccessfully in 1947, with Clark as his campaign manager. In 1949, he was elected City Treasurer. He resigned that post to run for governor in 1950, but was defeated by Republican John S. Fine.{{sfn|Daily Times 1955}} Democratic party leaders had intended Dilworth to be their candidate for mayor again in 1951, but when Clark announced his candidacy, Dilworth agreed to run for district attorney instead, and won.{{sfn|Neal|1990}} In 1955, Dilworth got his shot at the mayor's office when Clark instead ran for the Senate; he was elected with 59% of the vote.{{sfn|Daily Times 1955}} Four years later, he was renominated without opposition.{{sfn|Inquirer 1959a}}

The Republicans nominated Harold Stassen. In 1938, Stassen was elected Governor of Minnesota at the age of thirty-one.{{sfn|Kirby|2003|p=318}} He became known as an efficient, honest, and moderately liberal governor, and was reelected in 1940 and 1942.{{sfn|Kirby|2003|pp=318–319}} Stassen resigned as governor shortly after his 1942 reelection to serve in World War II. He made an unsuccessful bid for the Republican nomination for president in 1948; later that year, he was appointed president of the University of Pennsylvania.{{sfn|Kirby|2003|p=320}} After four years, he left that position to work in the Dwight D. Eisenhower administration as a special assistant for nuclear disarmament efforts.{{sfn|Kirby|2003|p=322}} In 1958, he sought the nomination for Governor of Pennsylvania, but was unsuccessful.{{sfn|Kirby|2003|p=324}}

As the 1959 election approached, Republican City Committee leaders Wilbur H. Hamilton and Austin Meehan backed Stassen for their party's nomination.{{sfn|Miller|1959a}} Triumphing over token opposition in the May primary, Stassen pledged to cut taxes and promised to run a "fusion campaign," inviting the support of Democrats dissatisfied with Dilworth's administration.{{sfn|Inquirer 1959a}} Dilworth called for more spending, especially on streets, highways, and public housing, and admitted that increased taxation was likely the price of those improvements.{{sfn|Freedman|1963|pp=II–31}}

As in 1955, the result was a landslide for Dilworth.{{sfn|Miller|1959b}} Dilworth called the victory "greater than we had anticipated" and said the scale of the landslide "puts us on a spot. We really have to deliver during the next four years."{{sfn|Inquirer 1959c}} Stassen said he would return to his law practice and promised to continue to build the Republican Party in Philadelphia.{{sfn|Inquirer 1959c}} Dilworth secured nearly two-thirds of the vote and fifty-eight out of fifty-nine wards, continuing a trend of Democratic dominance in the city's politics.{{sfn|Freedman|1963|pp=II–31}}

{{Election box begin|title=1959 Philadelphia mayoral election{{sfn|Bulletin Almanac 1960|p=27}}}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Richardson Dilworth (incumbent)

|votes = 438,237

|percentage = 65.34

|change = +6.04

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Harold Stassen

|votes = 229,818

|percentage = 34.28

|change = -6.42

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|party = Socialist Labor Party of America

|candidate = George S. Taylor

|votes = 2,536

|percentage = 0.38

|change = +0.38

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{clear}}

Philadelphians elected a seventeen-member city council in 1959, with ten members representing districts of the city, and the remaining seven being elected at-large. For the at-large seats, each political party could nominate five candidates, and voters could only vote for five, with the result being that the majority party could only take five of the seven seats, leaving two for the minority party. The Democrats' citywide dominance continued into the city council races, as took control of all ten of the district seats, up from nine in the previous election. They also retained five of seven at-large seats.{{sfn|Inquirer 1959d}}

In the at-large races, four incumbent Democratic candidates, Victor E. Moore, Paul D'Ortona, Marshall L. Shepard, and Leon Kolankiewicz, were re-elected. A fifth Democrat, state legislator Mary Varallo, was elected to the seat vacated by Henry W. Sawyer when he declined to run for re-election.{{sfn|Inquirer 1959d}} On the Republican side, at-large councilman Louis Schwartz retired and was replaced by Virginia Knauer. Incumbent Thomas M. Foglietta, a lawyer and son of former councilman Michael Foglietta, was re-elected.{{sfn|Inquirer 1959d}} Losing bids for the Republican at-large seats were attorneys Emil F. Goldhaber and William S. Rawls, and Baptist minister Clarence M. Smith.{{sfn|Inquirer 1959d}}

At the district level, Democratic incumbents Emanuel Weinberg (district 1), Gaetano Giordano (district 2), Harry Norwitch (district 3), Samuel Rose (district 4), Michael J. Towey (district 6), James Tate (district 7), Henry P. Carr (district 9), and John M. McDevitt (district 10) were all reelected. In the 5th district, Raymond Pace Alexander chose not to run for re-election and fellow Democrat Thomas McIntosh took his place. In the 8th, the Republicans lost their only district-level seat when Wilbur H. Hamilton narrowly lost out to Democrat Alfred Leopold Luongo.{{sfn|Inquirer 1959d}}

{{Pie chart

| thumb = right

| caption = At-large vote share by party

| other =

| label1 =Democratic

| value1 =64.40

| color1 =#0000FF

| label2 =Republican

| value2 =35.51

| color2 =#FF0000

| label3 =Socialist Labor

| value3 =0.09

| color3 =#FF00FF

}}

{{Election box begin|title=1959 Philadelphia city council election, at large{{sfn|Bulletin Almanac 1960|p=28}}{{sfn|Inquirer 1959d}} }}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Paul D'Ortona (incumbent)

|votes = 426,548

|percentage = 12.97

|change = +0.96

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Victor E. Moore (incumbent)

|votes = 425,753

|percentage = 12.96

|change = +0.95

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Leon Kolankiewicz (incumbent)

|votes = 422,314

|percentage = 12.86

|change = –

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Mary Varallo

|votes = 420,668

|percentage = 12.81

|change = –

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Marshall L. Shepard (incumbent)

|votes = 420,077

|percentage = 12.79

|change = +0.90

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Thomas M. Foglietta (incumbent)

|votes = 240,271

|percentage = 7.32

|change = -0.83

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Virginia Knauer

|votes = 234,392

|percentage = 7.14

|change = –

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Emil F. Goldhaber

|votes = 233,871

|percentage = 7.12

|change = –

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = William S. Rawls

|votes = 229,719

|percentage = 6.99

|change = –

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Clarence M. Smith

|votes = 227,972

|percentage = 6.94

|change = –

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|party = Socialist Labor Party of America

|candidate = Harry Wade

|votes = 3,012

|percentage = 0.09

|change = –

}}

{{Election box end}}

File:Philadelphia city council districts 1959.png

{{Election box begin|title=1959 Philadelphia city council election, district 1{{sfn|Bulletin Almanac 1960|p=28}} }}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Emanuel Weinberg (incumbent)

|votes = 42,907

|percentage = 66.35

|change = +3.98

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Nunzio Carto Jr.

|votes = 21,756

|percentage = 33.65

|change = -1.26

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin|title=1959 Philadelphia city council election, district 2{{sfn|Bulletin Almanac 1960|p=28}} }}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Gaetano Giordano (incumbent)

|votes = 38,601

|percentage = 64.93

|change = +6.18

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Arthur W. Binns

|votes = 20,849

|percentage = 35.07

|change = -6.18

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin|title=1959 Philadelphia city council election, district 3{{sfn|Bulletin Almanac 1960|p=28}}{{sfn|Inquirer 1959d}} }}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Harry Norwitch (incumbent)

|votes = 39,686

|percentage = 64.38

|change = +4.79

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Abraham Levin

|votes = 21,830

|percentage = 35.35

|change = -4.52

}}

{{Election box candidate

|party = Civic

|candidate = T. J. O'Donnell

|votes = 166

|percentage = 0.27

|change = +0.27

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin|title=1959 Philadelphia city council election, district 4{{sfn|Bulletin Almanac 1960|p=28}} }}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Samuel Rose (incumbent)

|votes = 42,711

|percentage = 73.59

|change = +5.01

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = James Morse

|votes = 15,325

|percentage = 26.41

|change = -5.01

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin|title=1959 Philadelphia city council election, district 5{{sfn|Bulletin Almanac 1960|p=28}}{{sfn|Inquirer 1959d}} }}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Thomas McIntosh

|votes = 35,666

|percentage = 77.76

|change = +7.49

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Elsie James

|votes = 10,013

|percentage = 21.81

|change = -7.92

}}

{{Election box candidate

|party = Civic

|candidate = Henry C. James

|votes = 188

|percentage = 0.42

|change = +0.42

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin|title=1959 Philadelphia city council election, district 6{{sfn|Bulletin Almanac 1960|p=28}} }}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Michael J. Towey (incumbent)

|votes = 41,328

|percentage = 60.32

|change = +3.53

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Stanley M. Bednarik

|votes = 27,179

|percentage = 39.68

|change = -3.53

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin|title=1959 Philadelphia city council election, district 7{{sfn|Bulletin Almanac 1960|p=28}} }}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = James Tate (incumbent)

|votes = 43,965

|percentage = 66.88

|change = +4.37

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = George W. Hufnagel

|votes = 21,769

|percentage = 33.12

|change = -4.37

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin|title=1959 Philadelphia city council election, district 8{{sfn|Bulletin Almanac 1960|p=28}} }}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Alfred Leopold Luongo

|votes = 29,107

|percentage = 53.25

|change = +4.06

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Wilbur H. Hamilton

|votes = 25,551

|percentage = 46.75

|change = -3.20

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin|title=1959 Philadelphia city council election, district 9{{sfn|Bulletin Almanac 1960|p=28}} }}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Henry P. Carr (incumbent)

|votes = 50,865

|percentage = 66.82

|change = +5.79

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Eugene K. Mansdoerfer

|votes = 25,254

|percentage = 33.18

|change = -5.79

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin|title=1959 Philadelphia city council election, district 10{{sfn|Bulletin Almanac 1960|p=28}} }}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = John M. McDevitt (incumbent)

|votes = 63,424

|percentage = 58.52

|change = +3.98

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Francis P. McCusker

|votes = 44,951

|percentage = 41.48

|change = -3.98

}}

{{Election box end}}

In the race for city commissioners, each party nominated two candidates and the top three were elected. The office was a county office, a holdover from the time before consolidation of the townships in Philadelphia County into one city. The most important of the remaining duties of the commissioners in Philadelphia was the conduct of the city's elections; they also had responsibility for regulating weights and measures.{{sfn|Office of the City Representative|1962|p=63}} The Democrats' success continued in those races, with incumbent commissioners Maurice S. Osser and Thomas P. McHenry being easily reelected. For the third seat, reserved for the minority party, Republican former city councilman Louis Menna edged out the incumbent Republican commissioner, Walter I. Davidson.{{sfn|Bulletin Almanac 1960|p=27}}

{{Election box begin|title=Philadelphia city commissioners, 1959{{sfn|Bulletin Almanac 1960|p=27}} }}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Thomas P. McHenry (incumbent)

|votes = 422,998

|percentage = 32.20

|change = +2.34

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Maurice S. Osser (incumbent)

|votes = 421,476

|percentage = 32.08

|change = +2.22

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Louis Menna

|votes = 236,049

|percentage = 17.97

|change = -2.04

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Walter I. Davidson (incumbent)

|votes = 231,622

|percentage = 17.63

|change = -2.55

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|party = Socialist Labor Party of America

|candidate = Mary Gesensway

|votes = 1,684

|percentage = 0.13

|change = +0.13

}}

{{Election box end}}

Democrat William M. Lennox was reelected county sheriff, his third consecutive term. Louis Amarando, also a Democrat, was reelected clerk of the court of quarter sessions (a court whose jurisdiction was later transferred to the court of common pleas).{{sfn|Inquirer 1959d}} In the special election for Register of Wills that followed the previous officeholder's appointment as a judge, Democrat John F. Walsh Jr. easily defeated Republican Jay H. Rosenfeld (Walsh had been appointed in 1959 to fill the vacancy).{{sfn|Inquirer 1959d}}

The Democrats also took six of the ten magisterial district judge positions up for election that year (a local court, the duties of which have since been superseded by the Philadelphia Municipal Court) with former state representative Ralph M. Dennis leading the list.{{sfn|Inquirer 1959d}} The ballot contained two referendums authorizing the city to take loans for construction of building repairs, streets, sewers, and other civic improvements. They passed with overwhelming support, tallying 70% and 72% affirmative votes.{{sfn|Inquirer 1959d}}

{{Election box begin |title=1959 Philadelphia sheriff election{{sfn|Bulletin Almanac 1960|p=27}} }}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = William M. Lennox (incumbent)

|votes = 426,620

|percentage = 64.72

|change = +4.91

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Jerome A. O'Neill

|votes = 232,558

|percentage = 35.28

|change = -4.91

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin|title=1959 Philadelphia clerk of courts election{{sfn|Bulletin Almanac 1960|p=28}} }}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Louis Amarando (incumbent)

|votes = 430,056

|percentage = 64.80

|change = +6.81

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Barbara Ann Duffy

|votes = 233,649

|percentage = 35.20

|change = -6.81

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin|title=1959 Philadelphia register of wills election{{sfn|Bulletin Almanac 1960|p=27}} }}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = John E. Walsh Jr.

|votes = 429,466

|percentage = 65.05

|change = +7.26

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Jay H. Rosenfeld

|votes = 230,783

|percentage = 34.95

|change = -7.26

}}

{{Election box end}}

• List of members of Philadelphia City Council since 1952

{{reflist|colwidth = 26em}}

{{refbegin}}

Books

• {{cite book |title=Bulletin Almanac 1960 |date=1960 |publisher=The Philadelphia Bulletin |location=Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |oclc=8641470 |ref={{sfnRef|Bulletin Almanac 1960}} }}
• {{cite book |last=Freedman |first=Robert L. |title=A Report on Politics in Philadelphia |date=1963 |publisher=Joint Center for Urban Studies of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University |location = Cambridge, Massachusetts |url = https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/001150726 |oclc = 1690059 }}
• {{cite book |last=Mayer |first=Michael F. |title=The Eisenhower Years |date=2010 |publisher=Facts on File, Inc. |location=New York, New York |isbn=978-0-8160-5387-2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dIhZxpoZVIQC&}}
• {{cite book |author=Office of the City Representative |title=Decade of Progress: The story of Philadelphia, 1952–1961 |publisher=Division of Public Information, Office of the City Representative |year=1962 |oclc=11471789 }}
• {{cite book|last=Reichly |first=James |title=The Art of Government: Reform and Organization Politics in Philadelphia |date=1959 |publisher=Fund for The Republic |location = New York, New York |url = https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/001150728 |oclc = 994205 }}

Journal

• {{cite journal |last=Kirby |first=Alec |title=Harold Stassen, 13 April 1907 – 4 March 2001 |journal=Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society |date=September 2003 |volume=147 |issue=3 |pages=317–324 |jstor=1558222 }}

Newspapers

• {{cite news |title=3 GOP Politicians Pick Stassen For Mayor Race |last=Miller |first=Joseph H.|work=The Philadelphia Inquirer |date=February 28, 1959a |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/178141424/ |via=Newspapers.com }}
• {{cite news |title=Both Party Slates Sweep in Phila. As M'Bride is Snowed Under |work=The Philadelphia Inquirer |date=May 20, 1959 |page=4 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/178318958 |via=Newspapers.com |ref={{sfnRef|Inquirer 1959a}} }}
• {{cite news |title=Smashing Dilworth Victory Expected Here |work=The Philadelphia Inquirer |date=November 1, 1959 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/178130980/ |via=Newspapers.com |page=B-37 |ref={{sfnRef|Inquirer 1959b}} }}
• {{cite news |title=Dilworth Re-Elected; Eagen Wins |last=Miller |first=Joseph H.|work=The Philadelphia Inquirer |date=November 4, 1959b |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/178141424/ |via=Newspapers.com |page=1 }}
• {{cite news |title=Mayor Hails Victory; Stassen Tries To Cheer Backers |work=The Philadelphia Inquirer |date=November 4, 1959 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/178141502/ |via=Newspapers.com |ref={{sfnRef|Inquirer 1959c}} }}
• {{cite news |title=City Vote Cast For Candidates |work=The Philadelphia Inquirer |date=November 5, 1959 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/178143962/ |via=Newspapers.com |ref={{sfnRef|Inquirer 1959d}} }}
• {{cite news |title=Dilworth Landslide Sinks GOP in Phila. |work=Delaware County Daily Times |date=November 9, 1955 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/65028166 |via=Newspapers.com |ref={{sfnRef|Daily Times 1955}} }}
• {{cite news |last=Neal |first=Steve |title=Political Giant Joseph Clark Dead At 88 |url=http://articles.philly.com/1990-01-15/news/25905842_1_mayoral-election-public-servant-first-democratic-mayor|work=The Philadelphia Inquirer |date=January 15, 1990 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160602023136/http://articles.philly.com/1990-01-15/news/25905842_1_mayoral-election-public-servant-first-democratic-mayor |archive-date = June 2, 2016 }}

{{refend}}{{1959 United States elections|state=collapsed}}

Philadelphia City Council

1959

Philadelphia City Council

Category:Mayoral elections in Philadelphia

Philadelphia

Category:1950s in Philadelphia

Category:Municipal elections in Philadelphia