Lou Ritter

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Louis Hampton Ritter (born September 27, 1925) was mayor of Jacksonville, Florida from 1965 until 1967. A Democrat, he assumed office when W. Haydon Burns, mayor since 1949, resigned to take office as Governor of Florida. He was the last mayor to serve his entire term before the city was consolidated with the Duval County government.

Ritter ran for election for the 1967 term, but was defeated by Hans Tanzler, a local judge. Ritter's defeat is attributed to rampant corruption in local government left over from Burns' administration that resulted in the indictment of various local officials. Ritter was never implicated, but the prevailing mood in the city was anti-incumbent. Unlike Burns, Ritter was a progressive who supported civil rights and welcomed federal assistance for the city's urban renewal efforts. He had extensive experience prior to becoming mayor, having served on the city council and the city commission.