# 1981 Durham mayoral election

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vte :
The 1981 Durham mayoral election was held on November 3, 1981, to elect the mayor of Durham, North Carolina. It saw the election of Charles Markham, who unseated incumbent mayor Harry E. Rodenhizer Jr.

## Results
### Primary

The date of the primary was October 6.
Candidate Jim Farthing had withdrawn on September 21, but remained on the ballot and received votes.
Primary results :
| Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Charles Markham | Charles Markham | 4,275 | 52.12 |
| Harry E. Rodenhizer Jr. (incumbent) | Harry E. Rodenhizer Jr. (incumbent) | 3,542 | 43.19 |
| B. R. Dunn | B. R. Dunn | 296 | 3.61 |
| Jim Farthing withdrawn | Jim Farthing withdrawn | 89 | 1.09 |
| Total votes | Total votes | 8,202 | |

### General election

General election results :
| Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Charles Markham | Charles Markham | 7,799 | 53.33 |
| Harry E. Rodenhizer Jr. (incumbent) | Harry E. Rodenhizer Jr. (incumbent) | 6,825 | 46.67 |
| Total votes | Total votes | 14,624 | |