The Democratic primary for the1949 Atlanta mayoral election was held on September 7, 1949, concurrently with Democratic primaries for theboard of aldermen and school board, and election to the Atlanta City Executive Committee (the municipal chapter of theDemocratic Party).[1][2] Nomination in the primary and the runoff was tantamount to election. Incumbent William Hartsfield won re-election in the primary by 47 votes.
It was the first primary for the board since the 1946 federal court decision inKing v. Chapman, which ended thewhite primary in Georgia and implemented the earlierU.S. Supreme Court decision inSmith v. Allwright, allowing African Americans to vote in primaries and elections for the first time.[3] African Americans had previously been turned away from the polls in the 1945 Democratic municipal primary. TheAtlanta Negro Voters League was formed months before the election to help organize African American first-time voters and endorse candidates for municipal offices. Both Hartsfield and Brown sought African American support in the primary.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | William B. Hartsfield | 20,074 | 50.12 | |
| Nonpartisan | Charlie Brown | 17,253 | 43.07 | |
| Nonpartisan | Bill Todd | 1,617 | 4.04 | |
| Nonpartisan | Joe Salem | 1,111 | 2.77 | |
| Total votes | 40,055 | 100 | ||
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