year. In January 1988, Sawyer was able to get the council to approve legislation that broke the taxi monopoly in the city, something which Washington had been unable to do. Despite the division surrounding his selection, Sawyer pushed several initiatives through the city council, including the installation of lights at Wrigley Field and the Clean Indoor Air Ordinance, which banned indoor smoking. Building on groundwork laid under Mayor Washington, Sawyer championed the Human Rights Ordinance, passed in 1988, to protect individuals against discrimination. This was the first Chicago city ordinance to assert the rights of gay and lesbian Chicagoans. Sawyer helped spur private development of land surrounding O'Hare International Airport. Sawyer reached an unprecedented four-year agreement with the firemen's union. In 1989, Sawyer ran for election in his own right. In the Democratic primary election, Richard M. Daley, the son of the late mayor Richard J. Daley, defeated Sawyer, taking 57% of the vote to Sawyer’s 40%. Approval ratings Sawyer was less popular a mayor than his predecessor, Washington, but still enjoyed a respectable approval rating. Nevertheless, polling showed that Chicagoans had doubt in Sawyers his leadership capabilities, as a 1988 Chicago Tribune poll showed that 55% of residents did not think of Sawyer as being "strong, decisive, and independent", and 54% of did not think he was an "effective leader". Retirement and death After losing the mayoral contest, Sawyer lost his reelection bid for Democratic committeeman of the 6th Ward and subsequently retired from politics. After retiring from politics, he became involved in business again. Sawyer was also an active member of the Vernon Park Church of God in Chicago's Pill Hill neighborhood. In 1998, Sawyer suffered a stroke. Sawyer died at age 73 on Saturday, January 19, 2008, at approximately 11 PM after a series of strokes and other health setbacks over the previous month. Public viewing for Sawyer took place on January 25 and his funeral took place on January 26 followed by burial at Oak Woods Cemetery, where Harold Washington is buried. Sawyer's mayoral papers are available as the Eugene Sawyer Collection at Special Collections department of the Chicago Public Library located in the Harold Washington Library. Personal life Sawyer was married to Veronica Smith-Sawyer from September 7, 1996 until his death. From 1955 until 1984, Sawyer was married to Eleanor Taylor. Together, they had three children; sons, Roderick and Shedrick, and a daughter, Sheryl Sawyer