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WWE Flashback: Results of the last time Jerry Lawler ran for mayor 10 years ago Jul 9, 2009 - 7:06:13 PM
The following news item was published in the July 10, 1999 edition of the Pro Wrestling Torch Newsletter. Hundreds of PWTorch Newsletters from the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s are available to PWTorch.com VIP members all the time, all in text format and many in PDF format. New PWTorch back issues are posted each month from 5, 10, and 20 years ago. Read stories like this one that provides insider information and insight from past era of pro wrestling. Become a VIP member today for just $7.50 a month. CLICK HERE
The pollsters in Memphis, Tenn. are better than the ones in Minnesota. As the polls predicted, Lawler finished a distant third in his run for mayor. Incumbent Willie Herenton finished first with about 75,000 votes (45%). Second place finisher, City Council chairman Joe Ford, drew 41,000 votes (25%). Lawler eeked out a third place finish with 19,000 votes (12%). Fourth place finisher, former county commissioner Pete Sisson, drew 18,000 votes (11%).
Lawler proved to be a substantial celebrity in Memphis by being taken seriously as a legitimate candidate. Snide comments about him being a pro wrestler were quickly replaced with analysis of his campaign promises. He ran a serious campaign, although it had to be tough for some in Memphis to take him seriously if they watched him play a horny, middle-aged man on Raw every week, gawking at women and making juvenile cracks.
Had it not been for Jesse Ventura, Lawler may have never thought of running for mayor or if he had, he would have had more trouble being taken seriously. As much as Ventura helped Lawler's campaign to be taken seriously, Ventura's controversial conduct and comments since being elected governor of Minnesota may have hurt Lawler's campaign.
As Lawler wound down his campaign by cruising the city of Memphis in a souped-up dune buggy-type vehicle pulling a giant crown (dubbed "The Crown Mobile"), Ventura was defending himself from criticism being levied at him for his comments in a Playboy interview about religious people, suicide, and the military Tailhook scandal. Ventura appeared on Late Show with David Letterman on Thursday night. Had Lawler won the election that night, he might have been a guest on Letterman or Jay Leno's show on Friday.
Despite Lawler selling the idea that as a pro wrestler and longtime celebrity, he would appeal to blacks as well as whites, he only drew 1 percent of the black vote (compared with 19 percent of the white vote). Ventura was credited for last year's much larger than average turnout in Minnesota for a gubernatorial election. It doesn't appear Lawler helped the Memphis turnout. Expectations were that up to 50 percent of the Memphis voting population would turn out; instead, less than 45 percent did despite perfect weather.
As precincts closed in Memphis on Thursday, Smackdown went on the air. Imagine the contrast of Lawler cheering on his girlfriend in a mud wrestling match on tape on one channel as he gave a live acceptance speech on another channel.
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