1983 Chicago mayoral election

The Chicago mayoral election of 1983 began with the primary on February 22, 1983, which was followed by the general on April 12, 1983. The election resulted in the victory of Chicago’s first African American mayor, Harold Washington, over Republican Bernard Epton.

Incumbent Mayor Jane Byrne, who had served since April 16, 1979, faced primary challenges from Cook County State's Attorney Richard M. Daley and U.S. Congressman Harold Washington. Despite institutional support and a well-funded campaign, Byrne was weakened by controversies during her tenure. Daley, the son of former six-term mayor Richard J. Daley, initially led in polling but struggled to consolidate support. Harold Washington emerged as a viable challenger after significant African American voter mobilization and defeated both Byrne and Daley in the Democratic primary by nearly 3 points. On the Republican side, state Representative Bernard Epton won the nomination unopposed.

In the general election, backlash against Washington among some white voters propelled Epton's candidacy. While Epton's candidacy was initially respectful in tone, it later ran ads that observers described as racially tinged. Washington responded by challenging Epton’s messaging, racial opposition to his candidacy, and resistance from segments of the Democratic machine, including aldermen who endorsed Epton. This led to an unusually competitive general election race.

Turnout in both the primary and general elections were among the highest in Chicago’s history. In the general election, with 82.07% of voters casting ballots, Washington won by 3.7%, securing strong support from African American voters, while Epton carried more wards than any Republican candidate since 1927.