Another Big-City Black Mayor?

Goode wins in a primary with the help of white votes

For one of his final rallies in Philadelphia's Democratic mayoral primary, Frank Rizzo ventured into a black neighborhood. Surrounded by bodyguards, the former mayor spoke bluntly. "You know, they're saying I'm going to get skunked in the black community. I don't believe that. I want to win with everybody in this city helping me."

"Boo, Rizzo!" cried a woman in the crowd. "We don't want you as mayor." It was one of the few even slightly rude moments in a remarkably even-tempered, almost genteel campaign. It was also prophetic. Last week, in his quest to be Philadelphia's first black mayor, W. Wilson Goode reaped 97% of the city's black vote and took the primary by a margin of 7%. With a 65.6% turnout, the primary, like Chicago's bitter mayoral bout last month, evidenced emerging black power at municipal polls.

Though race was clearly a factor in the voting, the lines were not as sharply drawn as in Chicago. While Harold Washington won just a fraction of the white vote, Goode netted an impressive 23% of it. If Goode, 44, is elected in November, it would put blacks in charge of four of the nation's six largest cities: Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Detroit. But even cushioned by a 5-to-l Democratic superiority, Goode is no shoo-in. The G.O.P. is girding for a tough fight, hoping to take advantage of a fractured Democratic Party and regain city hall after 32 years out of power. "I've spoken to some of these people, and there's going to be a mass defection from the Democratic Party," said longtime Political Observer Jordon Pitock. "You gotta be honest and say, 'Do you want a black city?' If there ever was a chance for the Republicans to win, this is it."

Those chances rest with G.O.P. Primary Winner John Egan Jr., 39, a Democrat until just three days before he declared his candidacy. A high school dropout, he made his way from messenger boy to chairman of the Philadelphia Stock Exchange, amassing a personal fortune. Goode strategists hope that Egan and the independent candidate, Thomas Leonard, a former city controller and Democrat, will split the vote of disaffected whites. Goode's campaign will continue to avoid direct appeals to black pride and to highlight his impressive credentials. The son of a sharecropper, he holds a master's degree in government administration from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School. He served as state public utilities chairman and for the past three years held the visible position of managing director of the city under retiring Mayor William Green. He plans to present himself as a unifying force. Said Goode: "We're not against anyone; we're for everyone who lives in the city."

In defeat, as in his 14 years as Denver mayor, William McNichols Jr. was the consummate Irish pol. "What do you want me to do, faint?" he genially asked a cadre of pestering reporters as he puffed on his cigar. So "Mayor Bill," 73, bowed out after finishing a stinging third in a field of seven in last Tuesday's election. Slogging through a freak spring blizzard, voters favored former State Legislator Federico Pefia and former District Attorney Dale Tooley, who will meet in a runoff on June 21.

While other cities went broke, Mayor Bill presided over Denver's boom years, when the skyline sprouted glass-and-steel towers and residents approved some $350 million worth of building projects. Although McNichols was never under suspicion, his administration was beset by scandals and his reputation as a good manager was tarnished by the revelations about his appointees. This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so viewer discretion is required.