The 1976 Orlando mayoral election took place on September 7, 1976. Incumbent Mayor Carl T. Langford ran for re-election to a third full term.[1] Though City Commissioner George Stuart Jr. considered running for mayor, he ultimately opted against it,[2] leaving advertising executive Shelton Adams as Langford's only opponent.[3]
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September 12, 1976
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Langford was the frontrunner in the race, and was endorsed for re-election by the Sentinel Star, which praised his "broad administrative experience" and for developing a "long range program" that helped the city economically develop.[4]
Adams ran an aggressive campaign, attracting endorsements from the local police and firefighter unions.[5][6]
Langford won re-election by a narrow margin, receiving 51 percent of the vote to Adams's 49 percent.[7] Langford led on election night, but the race was too close to call until the absentee ballots could be counted,[8] at which point Adams conceded and pledged to run again in 1980.[9]
General election
editCandidates
edit- Carl T. Langford, incumbent Mayor[1]
- Shelton Adams, advertising executive[3]
Declined
edit- George Stuart Jr., City Commissioner[2]
Results
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Carl T. Langford (inc.) | 10,365 | 51.12% | |
| Nonpartisan | Shelton Adams | 9,909 | 48.88% | |
| Total votes | 20,274 | 100.00% | ||
References
edit- 1 2 "Langford Qualifies For Mayor". Orlando Evening Star. July 7, 1976. p. 1-B. Retrieved August 1, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- 1 2 Lippert, Greg (July 20, 1976). "Stuart Plans To Seek 2nd Term On Council". Orlando Evening Star. p. 1-B. Retrieved August 1, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- 1 2 Lippert, Greg (July 20, 1976). "Langford Has Opponent". Orlando Evening Star. p. 1-A. Retrieved August 1, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Orlando Needs Administrative Experience Of Carl Langford". Orlando Evening Star. August 22, 1976. p. 8-B. Retrieved August 1, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ Lippert, Greg (August 24, 1976). "Firemen Back Adams; Accuse Langford". Sentinel Star. p. 1-B. Retrieved August 1, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Police Group Backs Adams, Draws Fire". Orlando Evening Star. August 27, 1976. p. 2-B. Retrieved August 1, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- 1 2 "Election Results 1970-1978" (PDF). Orlando City Clerk. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 12, 2015. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
- ↑ "Langford Holds Razor-Thin Lead". Orlando Evening Star. September 8, 1976. p. 1-A. Retrieved August 1, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ Spivey, Pete (September 9, 1976). "Absentee Vote Adds To Langford's Edge". Sentinel Star. p. 1-B. Retrieved August 1, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.