1987 Chicago mayoral election

Candidates ;Ran • Harold Washington, incumbent mayor • Jane Byrne, former mayor (1979–1983) • Sheila A. Jones 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 (who Washington had unseated in 1983 primary) had already declared her own candidacy by this time. 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 (a greater share than he had received four years earlier). Polling also indicated that he received 21% of the white vote (more than twice what he had received four years earlier). 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. Also running was Sheila A. Jones, a LaRouche movement devotee. 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 (with Vrdolyak seeking the Illinois Solidarity Party nomination) rather than risk Washington benefiting from a three-way split in the primary election similar to the one in the 1983 primary. Hynes (a career-long Democrat) opted to make a third party run after leading Republican operatives persuaded him to do so. Polls Results Turnout was 75.68%. Washington received 25% of the white vote, rising from 17% he received in 1983. Two reviews conducted by the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners and an election watchdog group headed by former U.S. Attorney Dan K. Webb found that tens of thousands of ballots were fraudulently cast by ineligible voters. ==Republican primary==

Candidates ;Ran • Donald Haider, business professor and former city budget director ;Withdrew • Jeremiah E. Joyce, state senator (Democrat) • Louis Masotti, urbanist and professor • Richard B. Ogilvie, former governor of Illinois Webb did, however, agree to lead a county party search committee to help find a willing candidate. 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 endorsed by the city's Republican Party organization on December 4, 1986. 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 (an entertainer who performed as a clown under the name "Spanky the Clown" and had run for mayor twice before) 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. ==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. Hynes also talked about being the issue-oriented candidate as opposed to some of the other candidates who allegedly talked about each other. 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. 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 (winning a majority in 25 of those wards).''' ==References==