At the time, blacks made up roughly 39% of registered voters in the city. White voters still outnumbered black voters 2 to 1.[4]
Registered Democrats outnumbered registered Republicans in the city by 4 to 1.[4]
Democratic primary
Goode positioned himself as a candidate that could unite the city.[2] This contrasted with many voters' perception that Rizzo had divided the city along racial and ethnic lines.[2]
Goode was fresh-faced, with this being his first campaign for elected office.[2] He was also perceived as an efficient public servant.[2]
In the primary, more than 30% of white voters cast their votes for Goode.[2]
Race never became a major topic of the campaign.[2]
The race saw a record total of votes cast for a Democratic primary.[2]
Thomas A. Leonard III, Philadelphia Register of Wills
General election
Goode was able to project a managerial image for himself, and was able to make an image that was "nonthreatening" to white voters.[4]
Results
Exit polling indicated that Goode received 98% of the support in black neighborhoods.[4] An examination of sample voting districts indicated that Goode received between 27 and 28% of the vote in white neighborhoods.[4] It was argued that a white candidate with the same credentials as Goode would likely have received 55% of the vote in the white neighborhoods.[4]
1983 Philadelphia mayoral election (general election)[5]