1989 Lynwood Mayoral Election (Straight Outta Lynwood)

The 1989 Lynwood Mayoral Election was held on November 3rd, 1989. The election resulted in the win of Democratic nominee Alfred M. Yankovic defeating incumbent mayor, Republican Paul Richards. This election was notable as it started the political career of Alfred M. Yankovic, who eventually became president in the 2012 United States presidential election.

Democratic Primary
In a surprise victory, Alfred Yankovic won in a landslide against E.L. Morris, who served as City Council from 1986.

During the months leading up to the primary, E.L. Morris ran unopposed until November of 1988, when musician and song writer, Alfred M. Yankovic announced that he was running for the democratic nomination. Yankovic later stated "I understood the issues of my town, so I decided to run for mayor. I would never run just to promote my music." The debates were held on June 8th, 1989. Morris was seen as weak and shy, while Yankovic was seen as outspoken and charismatic.

On election night of the primaries, polls indicated that Morris had a slight lead against Yankovic.