# 1989 Allentown mayoral election

"none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive; see [[WP:SDNONE]]
Elections in Pennsylvania :
Federal government
U.S. President
1789
1792
1796
1800
1804
1808
1812
1816
1820
1824
1828
1832
1836
1840
1844
1848
1852
1856
1860
1864
1868
1872
1876
1880
1884
1888
1892
1896
1900
1904
1908
1912
1916
1920
1924
1928
1932
1936
1940
1944
1948
1952
1956
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
Presidential primaries
Democratic
2000
2004
2008
2016
2020
2024
Republican
2008
2016
2020
2024
U.S. Senate
1788
1791
1793 sp
1794 sp
1795
1796
1797
1801
1801 sp
1802
1806
1808
1808 sp
1809 sp
1812
1814
1814 sp
1818
1820
1824
1826
1830
1831 sp
1832
1834 sp
1836
1840 sp
1843
1845
1845 sp
1849
1851
1856
1857
1861
1861 sp
1863
1867
1869
1873
1875
1877 sp
1879
1881
1885
1887
1891
1893
1897
1899
1901 sp
1903
1905
1905 sp
1908
1909
1909 sp
1911
1914
1916
1920
1922
1922 sp
1926
1928
1930 sp
1932
1934
1938
1940
1944
1946
1950
1952
1956
1958
1962
1964
1968
1970
1974
1976
1980
1982
1986
1988
1991 sp
1992
1994
1998
2000
2004
2006
2010
2012
2016
2018
2022
2024
2028
U.S. House of Representatives
1788
1791
1792
1794
1796
5th sp
1797
5th sp
1798
1st sp
4th sp
1800
8th sp
1801
4th sp
8th sp
12th sp
1802
1804
10th sp
1805
4th sp
11th sp
1806
1st sp
1808
1st sp
1809
1st sp
1810
1812
1813
3rd sp
5th sp
7th sp
13th sp
15th sp
1814
2nd sp
3rd sp
1815
1st sp
3rd sp
9th sp
1816
9th sp
1817
10th sp
1818
4th sp
6th sp
1820
5th sp
7th sp
1821
5th sp
10th sp
1822
1st sp
6th sp
7th sp
14th sp
1824
8th sp
13th sp
1825
16th sp
1826
2nd sp
7th sp
13th sp
18th sp
1827
2nd sp
1828
1829
8th sp
16th sp
1830
1831
11th sp
1832
1833
1st sp
1834
1836
13th sp
24th sp
1837
3rd sp
1838
9th sp
1839
14th sp
1840
13th sp
22nd sp
1841
2nd sp
13th sp
20th sp
18th sp
Jun
Dec
1842
17th sp
21st sp
1843
1844
12th sp
13th sp
21st sp
1846
1848
6th sp
1850
11th sp
15th sp
1852
1854
8th sp
1856
1857
12th sp
1858
8th sp
1860
8th sp
1861
2nd sp
12th sp
1862
7th sp
1864
1866
1867
12th sp
1868
9th sp
20th sp
1870
1872
13th sp
1874
23rd sp
1876
12th sp
1878
1880
1882
1884
19th sp
1885
19th sp
1886
1888
1890
3rd sp
4th sp
1892
1893
2nd sp
8th sp
1894
at-large sp
1895
15th sp
1896
1897
25th sp
1898
23rd sp
1899
9th sp
1900
5th sp
1901
10th sp
1902
17th sp
1903
4th sp
1904
3rd sp
1906
2nd sp
3rd sp
12th sp
1907
2nd sp
1908
1910
1911
2nd sp
14th sp
1912
1st sp
1914
1916
1917
28th sp
1918
1919
22nd sp
1920
3rd sp
1921
at-large sp
1922
1924
1926
1927
1st sp
1928
8th sp
1929
12th sp
1930
1931
2nd sp
1932
6th sp
18th sp
20th sp
1933
9th sp
1934
1936
1937
18th sp
1938
1939
4th sp
1940
1941
15th sp
1942
11th sp
12th sp
33rd sp
1943
2nd sp
23rd sp
1944
2nd sp
17th sp
1946
10th sp
23rd sp
33rd sp
1947
8th sp
1948
1949
22nd sp
26th sp
1950
1951
8th sp
14th sp
33rd sp
1952
1954
1956
2nd sp
30th sp
1957
13th sp
1958
4th sp
21st sp
1960
17th sp
18th sp
1961
16th sp
1962
1963
15th sp
23rd sp
1964
5th sp
1966
1968
1970
9th sp
1971
18th sp
1972
27th sp
1974
12th sp
1976
1st sp
1978
1980
11th sp
12th sp
1981
3rd sp
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1991
2nd sp
1992
1994
1996
1998
1st sp
2000
2001
9th sp
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
12th sp
2012
2014
2016
2nd sp
2018
7th sp
15th sp
18th sp
2019
12th sp
2020
2022
2024 :
State government
Governor
1790
1793
1796
1799
1802
1805
1808
1811
1814
1817
1820
1823
1826
1829
1832
1835
1838
1841
1844
1847
1848
1851
1854
1857
1860
1863
1866
1869
1872
1875
1878
1882
1886
1890
1894
1898
1902
1906
1910
1914
1918
1922
1926
1930
1934
1938
1942
1946
1950
1954
1958
1962
1966
1970
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022
2026
Lieutenant Governor
1874
1878
1882
1886
1890
1894
1898
1902
1906
1910
1914
1918
1922
1926
1930
1934
1938
1942
1946
1950
1954
1958
1962
1966
1970
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022
Attorney General
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
Auditor General
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
State Treasurer
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
State Senate
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
State House of Representatives
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024 :
Elections by year
State elections
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025 :
Philadelphia
Mayoral elections
1839
1840
1841
1842
1843
1844
1845
1846
1847
1848
1849
1850
1851
1852
1853
1854
1856
1858
1860
1862
1865
1868
1871
1874
1877
1881
1884
1887
1891
1895
1899
1903
1907
1911
1915
1919
1923
1927
1931
1935
1939
1943
1947
1951
1955
1959
1963
1967
1971
1975
1979
1983
1987
1991
1995
1999
2003
2007
2011
2015
2019
2023
City Council elections
2015
2019
2022–23 sp.
2023
Other municipal elections
1951
1953
1955
1957
1959
1961
2023 :
Pittsburgh
Mayors
1909
1913
1917
1921
1925
1929
1933
1937
1941
1945
1949
1953
1957
1959
1961
1965
1969
1973
1977
1981
1985
1989
1993
1997
2001
2005
2007
2009
2013
2017
2021
2025 :
Allentown
Mayors
1977
1981
1985
1989
1993
1997
2001
2005
2009
2013
2017
2019 sp
2021
2025 :
Lancaster
Mayors
2009
2017
2021
2025 :
Harrisburg
Mayors
1969
1973
1977
1981
1985
1989
1993
1997
2001
2005
2009
2013
2017
2021
2025 :
Government :
vte :
The 1989 Allentown mayoral election was a municipal election to determine the mayor of Allentown, Pennsylvania. Two-term Democratic mayor Joseph S. Daddona sought re-election to a third term, receiving both the Democratic and Republican nominations, but was challenged by an Independent campaign from a Democratic councilwoman Emma Tropiano.

## Campaign

Tropiano, a veteran Democratic councilwoman, challenged Daddona in the Democratic primary for the 1985 Allentown mayoral election and lost. In 1989 she registered for the election as an Independent, officially for the "Citizens For Emma" party, allowing Daddona to win the Democratic nomination unopposed. Daddona also secured the Republican nomination after the party didn't stand any candidates, and his supporters launched a successful write-in campaign.

### General election

Tropiano kept her campaign laid back until 45-days before the election, when she levied a flurry of accusations and complaints with the Daddona mayoralty. Tropiano centered her campaign on a tough-on-crime platform, notably arguing that the city's growing Hispanic population, now accounting for 12% of the city's population, was the cause of at least 34% of the city's crime. This touched a nerve with the city's Hispanic population which had largely moved to Allentown from New York City to escape high crime rates. She also accused Daddona of doing nothing to stop prostitution, drug dealing, and gang activity within the city, and proposed drastically increasing the city's police department. Tropiano also based her campaign out of a camp outside the Kline's Island sewage treatment plant, highlighting a broken campaign promise Daddona made that he would sleep at the plant a day every week until its odor problem is fixed. Daddona retorted to the attacks by pointing out Tropiano's lack of public speaking skills, with all her talking points being assembled by "hidden henchmen". Daddona also criticized Tropiano for voting against redevelopment of the downtown 14 times while she was on the city council.
Daddona raised nearly $37,000 since mid-June and spent $21,200 while Tropiano raised $11,200 and spent $8,900. Going into election day, Daddona had a 2:1 lead in the polls. Daddona handily beat Tropiano by a margin of 4,000 votes.

## Results

Mayor of Allentown, November 7, 1989. :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic-Republican | Joseph S. Daddona | | 60% |
| | Citizens for Emma | Emma Tropiano | | 40% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | | 100.00% |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

## Legacy

Daddona is only one of two mayors to have been elected to three consecutive terms, tying the record of Mayor Malcolm W. Gross, although Daddona also had a fourth, non-consecutive term from 1974 to 1978, bringing his total time as mayor to 16 years. Daddona would retire and not seek re-election in 1993.