Philadelphia's City Council special election of 1958 was held to fill the 9th district seat vacated by Democrat Charles M. Finley when he died in office. Democrat Henry P. Carr defeated Republican Elizabeth Page Hanna for the seat.
Background
editSince 1951, insurance broker Charles M. Finley had represented the 9th district, which covered Oak Lane, Olney, and Logan. In August 1958, he died of a heart attack while vacationing in Margate, New Jersey.[1]
With limited time to fill the seat, the parties selected the candidates directly rather than holding a primary. Democratic ward leaders in the district chose U.S. Commissioner Henry P. Carr to run for the open seat.[2] Republicans selected Elizabeth Page Hanna, a member of the Republican State Committee.[3]
Carr was elected easily with 61% of the vote.[4] He served in that office until 1968.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Henry P. Carr | 52,546 | 61.03 | −0.58 | |
| Republican | Elizabeth P. Hanna | 33,547 | 38.97 | +0.58 | |
See also
editSources
editReferences
edit- Bulletin Almanac 1959. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: The Philadelphia Bulletin. 1959. OCLC 8641470.
- "Councilman Finley Dies". The Philadelphia Inquirer. August 26, 1958. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Democrats Pick Carr As Council Candidate". The Philadelphia Inquirer. September 3, 1958. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Woman in Council Bid". The Philadelphia Inquirer. September 17, 1958. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Democrat Carr Takes Council Seat". The Philadelphia Inquirer. November 5, 1958. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.