The 1961 election for
Mayor of
Los Angeles took place on April 4, 1961, with a runoff election on May 31, 1961. Incumbent
Norris Poulson was defeated by
Sam Yorty, a former
U.S. Representative
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...
.
[
Municipal elections in California, including Mayor of Los Angeles, are officially nonpartisan; candidates' party affiliations do not appear on the ballot.]
Election
Poulson ran for re-election for a third term after a movement to "draft" Poulson for a next term. In January 1961, former U.S. Representative
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...
Sam Yorty entered the race, criticizing Poulson for his handling of smog and taxes in Los Angeles. Patrick D. McGee
Patrick D'Arcy McGee (March 5, 1916 – May 30, 1970) was a Republican member of the California State Assembly for the 64th district from 1950 to 1957 and from 1966 until his death in 1970. He was a Los Angeles City Council member from 1957 to ...
, a member of the Los Angeles City Council, also announced his run for mayor. Both Yorty and McGee had talked about rumors surrounding Poulson that said that he had throat cancer, which Poulson denied. In the primary election, Poulson and Yorty advanced to the runoff election. In the runoff, Yorty defeated Poulson in the election, which some newspapers said was because Poulson "could not make a good public appearance."
Results
Primary election
General election
References and footnotes
External links
Office of the City Clerk, City of Los Angeles
{{Los Angeles Government
1961
Events January
* January 3
** United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces that the United States has severed diplomatic and consular relations with Cuba ( Cuba–United States relations are restored in 2015).
** Aero Flight 311 ...
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