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Themayoral election of 1997 inPittsburgh,Pennsylvania was held onTuesday, November 4, 1997. The incumbent mayor,Tom Murphy of theDemocratic Party was running for a second straight term.
Murphy faced a difficult battle from City Council PresidentBob O'Connor, who would later go on to become mayor. The incumbent's popularity was waning due to his steadfast of two controversial measures: a tax to construct new stadiums for thePittsburgh Steelers andPittsburgh Pirates, and a faltering public-private partnership to purchase vacant Downtown storefronts. The battle was especially tense due to personality differences between the two men that led to frequently clashes over legislation.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Tom Murphy (incumbent) | 35,557 | 53.6 | |
| Democratic | Bob O'Connor | 26,652 | 41.7 | |
| Democratic | Chaston Roston | 3,104 | 4.7 | |
| Total votes | 65,313 | 100 | ||
A total of 82,203 votes were cast in the general election. As is typical of races in Pittsburgh, the Democratic candidate won by a large margin over Republican Harry Frost, a construction executive.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Tom Murphy (incumbent) | 63,246 | 76.9 | ||
| Republican | Harry Frost | 17,161 | 20.9 | ||
| Turnout | 82,203 | ||||
| Democratichold | Swing | ||||
| Preceded by 1993 | Pittsburgh mayoral election 1997 | Succeeded by 2001 |
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