# 1981 Atlanta mayoral election

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vte :
The 1981 Atlanta Mayoral Election took place on October 6, 1981, with the runoff held on October 27. Mayor Maynard Jackson was ineligible to run due to term limits. The runoff featured two prominent Atlanta politicians: former Congressman and UN Ambassador Andrew Young as well as State Representative Sidney Marcus. Young won in the October 27th runoff by double digits. It became the first time an African American mayor of a major city (Jackson) handed over the office to an African American successor.

## Election results

| Candidate | General Election | General Election | Runoff | Runoff |
| Candidate | Votes | % | Votes | % |
| Andrew Young | 44,808 | 40.9 | 65,798 | 55.1 |
| Sidney Marcus | 42,593 | 38.8 | 53,549 | 44.9 |
| A. Reginald Eaves | 17,457 | 15.9 | | |
| Warren Shulman | 3,602 | 3.2 | | |
| John E. Thompson | 618 | 0.5 | | |
| Mildred Glover | 275 | 0.2 | | |
| Andree Kahlmorgan | 151 | 0.1 | | |
| Total votes | 109,504 | 100 | 119,347 | 100 |
| Blank/Overvotes | 7,607 | – | 3,080 | – |
| Total ballots | 117,111 | 100 | 122,427 | 100 |
| Registered voters/turnout | 191,166 | 61.26 | 191,166 | 64.04 |
| Source: Fulton County Board of Elections |||||