Bernard Epton

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bernard "Bernie" Epton (1921 – 1987) served in the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II. He flew twenty-five missions over Germany and twice won the Distinguished Flying Cross.

During the postwar years, Epton became a successful attorney specializing in insurance law. A graduate of the University of Chicago and DePaul Law School, he was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives in 1968 and served from 1969-[1983]]. He chaired the chamber's Insurance Committee. He was a member of the Republican Party.

A resident of the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago, Epton opposed the liberal African American Democrat Harold Washington for the office of mayor in the spring of 1983. In a racially charged election, Epton came within 40,000 votes (of 1.2 million cast) of defeating the Democratic nomiee. His total was the high-water mark for Chicago Republicans in elections for mayor in the heavily Democrat city. Epton received 90 percent of the votes of Chicago whites, and 3 percent from blacks. One of Epton's campaign slogans was "Epton for mayor... Before it’s too late", which critics declared had racial overtones.

After his defeat, Epton briefly returned to private life. Known for being witty and occasionally sharp-tongued, Epton died of a heart attack in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in December 1987, less than three weeks after Mayor Washington's death.

One of his four children, Jeff Epton, served as a city council member in Ann Arbor.