The Chicago mayoral election was a close race. Political analysts agree that the major battle was not so much the final election as the Democratic primaries leading up to it. Chicago was a Democratic city, and whoever won the Democratic nomination was all but assured of winning the mayor's office. Although black candidates had run for mayor before, including Washington himself, none had succeeded. However, in close, hard-fought races for first the Democratic nomination and then the final election, Washington became the first black mayor of Chicago.
In his acceptance speech on April 12, 1983, Washington emphasized three important ideas: the unity and diversity of the coalition that had brought him into power, the necessity of revitalizing and rebuilding the city of Chicago, and the desirability of working together to achieve common goals.
In his speech, Washington alludes to the support of blacks, whites, and other ethnicities necessary to win the election when he says,
Out of the crucible of this city's most trying election, carried on the tide of the most massive voter turnout in Chicago's history, blacks, whites, Hispanics, Jews, gentiles, Protestant and Catholic of all stripes have joined hands to form a new democratic coalition.
He acknowledges that, in a city as large as Chicago, not everyone supported his election, but he stresses his determination to use his victory to improve the city. He says,
We intend to revitalize and rebuild this city. To open its doors and be certain that its babies are healthy and its old people are fed and well-housed. We intend that our city will grow again and bring prosperity to all of its citizens.
Washington thanks his supporters and reaches out to all the city's citizens in common cause.
I charge each and every one of you to rededicate your efforts to heal the divisions that have plagued us. Each of us much reach out in open arms. Together we will overcome our problems and restore Chicago to its proper position as one of the most dynamic cities in all the world.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/nation-world/chi-chicagodays-haroldwashington-story-story.html
Harold Washington, who was the first African-American person to be elected mayor of Chicago in 1983, gave a speech in which he celebrated the ability of his campaign to bring together a coalition of people who were generally outside the political process. He said, speaking of his fight to win the election, "We fought it, with unseasoned weapons and with a phalanx of people who mostly have never been involved in a political campaign before." His reference to "unseasoned weapons" means that his supporters largely came from outside the political process and had not been involved actively with politics before the campaign.
In his speech, Washington stressed the diversity and breadth of his coalition, saying, "Our government will be moving forward as well, including more people. And more kinds of people, than any government in the history of Chicago." Alluding to John Winthrop's famous "City Upon a Hill" sermon in which Winthrop said the Puritans in the 17th century would be an example for the rest of the world, Washington said, "The whole nation is watching as Chicago is so powerful in this!" In other words, the democratic and diverse coalition that brought him to power would be an example to other cities.
Later in the speech, Washington compared the difficult election that he had won to a "crucible" and referred to the different types of people who had supported his campaign in the largest voter turnout in the history of the city: "Blacks. Whites. Hispanics. Jews. Gentiles. Protestant and Catholics of all stripes." He then compared this broad coalition to a "moving river of mankind" and promised to revitalize his city with the force of this river.
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