The 1881 Philadelphia mayoral election saw Samuel G. King defeat three-term incumbent mayor William S. Stokley.[1]
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This would be the last time until 1951 that a Democrat would win the mayoralty of Philadelphia.[1] It would also be the last time until 1911 that a Republican would fail to win the mayoralty.[1]
The Philadelphia Republican establishment had not accepted Stokley as one of their own and prominent reformist Republicans such as Rudolph Blankenburg opposed Stokley for corruption.[2]
After the influential Committee of One Hundred voted to endorse Stokley, Blankenburg and John Paul Verree resigned their memberships.[3] The Committee reversed itself and endorsed King in the election.[2]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Samuel G. King | 78,215 | 51.87% | |
Republican | William S. Stokley (incumbent) | 72,428 | 48.03% | |
Greenback | A.C. Baird | 151 | 0.10% | |
Turnout | 150,794 |