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1987 California's 5th congressional district special election

{{Short description|none}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}}

{{Infobox election

|election_name = 1987 California's 5th congressional district special election

|country = California

|type = by-election

|ongoing = no

|previous_election = 1986 United States House of Representatives elections#California

|previous_year = 1986

|election_date = April 7, 1987 (primary)
June 2, 1987 (runoff)

|turnout =

|next_election = 1988 United States House of Representatives elections#California

|next_year = 1988

|seats_for_election = California's 5th congressional district

|image1 = x160px

|candidate1 = Nancy Pelosi

|party1 = Democratic Party (United States)

|popular_vote1 = 46,428

|percentage1 = 63.36%

|image2 = x120px

|candidate2 = Harriet Ross

|party2 = Republican Party (United States)

|popular_vote2 = 22,478

|percentage2 = 30.68%

|map_image =

|map_size =

|map_caption =

|title = U.S. Representative

|before_election = Sala Burton

|before_party = Democratic Party (United States)

|after_election = Nancy Pelosi

|after_party = Democratic Party (United States)

}}

{{Elections in California}}

A special primary election to determine the member of the United States House of Representatives for California's 5th congressional district was held on April 7, 1987, with a special general election held two months later on June 2.

Incumbent Representative Sala Burton, who herself was elected during a special election following the death of her husband Phillip Burton, the previous incumbent, died on February 1, 1987, from colon cancer.{{cite web |last1=Morain |first1=Dan |title=Rep. Sala Burton, Who Replaced Husband in Congress, Dies at 61 |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-02-02-mn-171-story.html |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=January 19, 2021 |date=February 7, 1987 }} Her death triggered a special election, leading to multiple people running to finish her term. No candidate received 50% in the primary, leading to a special general election won by former California Democratic Party chair Nancy Pelosi.{{Cite news | agency = Associated Press | title = Democrat Elected in San Francisco | newspaper = The New York Times | date = June 3, 1987 | url = https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html | access-date = February 17, 2017 | archive-date = February 9, 2010 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100209030954/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html | url-status = live }}

Candidates

Fourteen candidates ran in the special primary.

=Democratic Party=

  • Nancy Pelosi, former chairwoman of the California Democratic Party and daughter of former Baltimore mayor Thomas D'Alesandro Jr.{{Cite news|title=It began in Baltimore: The life and times of Nancy Pelosi |newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle |date=January 2, 2007 |url=https://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/It-began-in-Baltimore-The-life-and-times-of-2660281.php |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110429202942/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=%2Fchronicle%2Farchive%2F2007%2F01%2F02%2FMNG8QNBFNN1.DTL&type=politics |archive-date=April 29, 2011 | access-date=January 20, 2019}}
  • Harry Britt, LGBT rights advocate{{Cite book|title=The Gay Revolution|last=Faderman|first=Lillian|publisher=Simon & Schuster|year=2015|isbn=978-1-4516-9411-6|location=New York|pages=371–72}} and former member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors{{Cite news | title = Gay is expected to make strong run for House seat | newspaper = San Jose Mercury News | pages = 1C | date = February 10, 1987 | url = http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=SJ&s_site=mercurynews&p_multi=SJ&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB72A7C26CA931F&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM}}{{cite web | title = Board of Supervisors: Past Supervisors | publisher = City and County of San Francisco |url = http://www.ci.sf.ca.us/site/bdsupvrs_index.asp?id=26925 | access-date = November 19, 2008 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081114004327/http://www.ci.sf.ca.us/site/bdsupvrs_index.asp?id=26925 | archive-date = November 14, 2008}}
  • William Maher, San Francisco Board of Supervisors member
  • Doris M. Ward, San Francisco Board of Supervisors member
  • Carol Ruth Silver, gun rights advocate and San Francisco Board of Supervisors memberMiller, Johnny (January 20, 2010) [http://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/Top-cop-shoots-down-supe-on-guns-3204214.php "Top cop shoots down supe on guns."] San Francisco Chronicle. (Retrieved June 3, 2015).
  • Brian Lantz

=Republican Party=

  • Harriet Ross
  • Kevin W. Wadsworth
  • Tom Spinosa, World War II and Vietnam War veteran and San Francisco County Republican Party official{{cite web |title=Tom Spinosa Obituary (2008) |url=https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/sfgate/obituary.aspx?n=tom-spinosa&pid=119554527 |website=Legacy.com |publisher=San Francisco Chronicle |access-date=January 19, 2021 |date=October 31, 2008 }}
  • Mike Garza

=Libertarian Party=

  • Sam Grove

=Peace and Freedom Party=

  • Theodore Zuur

=Independents=

  • Karen Edwards
  • Catherine Renee Sedwick

Special primary

[[File:1987 SF Special Election Primary.svg|right|thumb|Primary results by neighborhood.

{{collapsible list

|title={{legend|#584CDE|Pelosi}}

|{{legend|#A5B0FF|Pelosi—40-50%}}

|{{legend|#BDD3FF|Pelosi—30-40%}}

}}

{{collapsible list

|title={{legend|#2CA02C|Britt}}

|{{legend|#37c837|Britt—60–70%}}

|{{legend|#5FD35F|Britt—50-60%}}

|{{legend|#87de87|Britt—40–50%}}

|{{legend|#AAE5AA|Britt—30-40%}}

}}

]]

The nonpartisan blanket primary was held on April 7, 1987. A candidate winning 50% of the vote would automatically fill the vacant seat. If no candidate won 50%, a special general election (essentially a runoff) would be triggered with the top candidates in each party advancing to it.

{{Election box begin no change| title=1987 California's 5th congressional district special election{{cite web|url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=170290 |title=Our Campaigns - CA District 5 - Special Election Race - Apr 07, 1987 |publisher=OurCampaign |date=July 12, 2020 |access-date=January 19, 2021}}}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Nancy Pelosi

|votes = 38,927

|percentage = 36.12

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Harry Britt

|votes = 35,008

|percentage = 32.48

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = William Maher

|votes = 15,355

|percentage = 14.25

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Doris M. Ward

|votes = 6,498

|percentage = 6.03

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Harriet Ross

|votes = 3,016

|percentage = 2.8

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Carol Ruth Silver

|votes = 2,896

|percentage = 2.69

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Kevin W. Wadsworth

|votes = 1,755

|percentage = 1.63

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Tom Spinosa

|votes = 1,712

|percentage = 1.59

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Mike Garza

|votes = 1,262

|percentage = 1.17

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

|party = Independent (United States)

|candidate = Karen Edwards

|votes = 447

|percentage = 0.42

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

|party = Libertarian Party (United States)

|candidate = Sam Grove

|votes = 408

|percentage = 0.38

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

|party = Peace and Freedom Party

|candidate = Theodore Zurr

|votes = 187

|percentage = 0.17

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

|party = Independent (United States)

|candidate = Catherine Renee Sedwick

|votes = 164

|percentage = 0.15

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Brian Lantz

|votes = 141

|percentage = 0.13

}}

{{Election box total no change|

|votes = 107,776

|percentage = 100.0

}}

{{Election box end}}

Special general election

The special general election took place on June 2, 1987, with Nancy Pelosi gaining a majority of the vote and winning Sala Burton's seat.

{{Election box begin| title = 1987 California's 5th congressional district special general election{{cite web|url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=51044 |title=Our Campaigns - CA District 5 - Special Runoff Race - Jun 02, 1987 |publisher=OurCampaigns |date=April 18, 2016 |access-date=January 19, 2021}}}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Nancy Pelosi

|votes = 46,428

|percentage = 63.36

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Harriet Ross

|votes = 22,478

|percentage = 30.68

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|party = Independent (United States)

|candidate = Karen Edwards

|votes = 1,602

|percentage = 2.19

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|party = Peace and Freedom Party

|candidate = Theodore Zurr

|votes = 1,105

|percentage = 1.51

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|party = Libertarian Party (United States)

|candidate = Sam Grove

|votes = 1,007

|percentage = 1.37

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|party = Independent (United States)

|candidate = Catherine Renee Sedwick

|votes = 659

|percentage = 0.9

|change =

}}

{{Election box total

|votes = 73,279

|percentage = 100.0

}}

{{Election box hold with party link no swing

|winner = Democratic Party (United States)

|loser = Republican Party (United States)}}

{{Election box end}}

References

{{reflist}}

{{1987 United States elections}}

{{Elections in California footer}}

{{Nancy Pelosi}}

California 1987 05

California 1987 05

1987 05 Special

California 05 Special

United States House of Representatives 05 Special

United States House of Representatives 1987 05

California's 5th congressional district special election

California's 5th congressional district special election

Category:Nancy Pelosi