1993 Atlanta mayoral election

The 1993 Atlanta mayoral election occurred on November 2, 1993, with a runoff election held on November 23, 1993.

1993 Atlanta mayoral election

← 1989November 2, 1993 (general)
November 23, 1993 (runoff)
1997 →
Turnout44.52% (general)
36.40% (runoff)
 
CandidateBill CampbellMichael Lomax
PartyNonpartisanNonpartisan
First-round vote39,99718,900
First-round percentage48.98%23.15%
Second-round vote48,60018,155
Second-round percentage72.80%27.20%

 
CandidateMyrtle DavisNancy Schaefer
PartyNonpartisanNonpartisan
First-round vote12,7799,057
First-round percentage15.65%11.09%

Mayor before election

Maynard Jackson
Democratic

Elected Mayor

Bill Campbell
Democratic

Incumbent mayor Maynard Jackson declined to seek reelection to what would have been a fourth overall (and second consecutive) term, citing family and personal reasons.[1][2]

Since no candidate received a majority in the general election, a runoff election was held between the top-two finishers. Bill Campbell won election in the runoff.

Candidates

Advanced to runoff
Eliminated in general election
  • A. Amenra
  • Bob Braxton
  • James A. Coleman
  • Myrtle Davis, Atlanta city councilor[3]
  • John Genins
  • David Librace
  • Lafayette Perry
  • Nancy Smith Schaefer, activist
  • Mark Teal
  • Mitchell Williams

Campaign

General election

The election would determine who would, expectedly, serve as mayor during the upcoming 1996 Summer Olympics in the city.[3] Among the issues that the individual elected mayor would inherit would be an Olympics that were considered significantly behind-schedule in regards to planning.[3]

Peter Applebome of The New York Times, on October 15, 1993 characterized the races being largely between Campbell, Davis, and Lomax, in which Campbell was leading, and Lomax was likely to place second.[3] Applebome wrote, "the three have mounted a civilized, relatively low-key race in which polls show Mr. Campbell with a healthy lead"[3] Applebome also wrote that the candidates had waged an "issue-oriented race".[3]

Crime was a major topic of the campaign. Campbell proposed reorganizing the city's police department, placing more officers in the city's neighborhoods, and rehiring retired officers to give more staffing flexibility (while costing less to train then new officers). Lomax proposed hiring 400 new police officers. Davis focused more on addressing the social causes behind crime.[3]

Outgoing mayor Maynard Jackson endorsed Campbell.[3]

Lomax had high name-recognition, but also had high disapproval in opinion polling.[3]

Runoff

Observers considered the runoff campaign between Campbell and Lomax as having been ugly.[2] Instead of being issues-focused, the campaign became focused on questions that Lomax made regarding Campbell's ties to a federal corruption probe and questionable expenditures at Hartsfield International Airport.[2]

Results

General election (November 2)

Atlanta mayoral general election, 1993[4]
PartyCandidateVotes%
[[Nonpartisan|Nonpartisan]]Bill Campbell 39,997 48.98
[[Nonpartisan|Nonpartisan]]Michael L. Lomax 18,900 23.15
[[Nonpartisan|Nonpartisan]]Myrtle Davis12,77915.65
[[Nonpartisan|Nonpartisan]]Nancy Smith Schaefer9,05711.09
[[Nonpartisan|Nonpartisan]]A. Amenra2300.28
[[Nonpartisan|Nonpartisan]]James A. Coleman2160.27
[[Nonpartisan|Nonpartisan]]Bob Braxton1240.15
[[Nonpartisan|Nonpartisan]]David Librace830.10
[[Nonpartisan|Nonpartisan]]Mark Teal720.09
[[Nonpartisan|Nonpartisan]]John Genins690.09
[[Nonpartisan|Nonpartisan]]Lafayette Perry660.08
[[Nonpartisan|Nonpartisan]]Mitchell Williams620.08
Turnout81,65544.52

Runoff (November 23)

Atlanta mayoral runoff election, 1993[5]
PartyCandidateVotes%
[[Nonpartisan|Nonpartisan]]Bill Campbell 48,600 72.80
[[Nonpartisan|Nonpartisan]]Michael L. Lomax18,15527.20
Turnout66,75536.40

References