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The1881 Philadelphia mayoral election saw Samuel G. King defeat three-term incumbent mayor William S. Stokley.[1]
This would be the last time until1951 that a Democrat would win the mayoralty of Philadelphia.[1] It would also be the last time until1911 that a Republican would fail to win the mayoralty.[1]
The Philadelphia Republican establishment had not accepted Stokley as one of their own and prominent reformist Republicans such asRudolph Blankenburg opposed Stokley for corruption.[2]
After the influential Committee of One Hundred voted to endorse Stokley, Blankenburg andJohn Paul Verree resigned their memberships.[3] The Committee reversed itself and endorsed King in the election.[2]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Samuel G. King | 78,215 | 51.87% | |
| Republican | William S. Stokley (incumbent) | 72,428 | 48.03% | |
| Greenback | A.C. Baird | 151 | 0.10% | |
| Turnout | 150,794 | |||
