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Elections in Illinois |
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In the Chicago mayoral election of 1863, Democrat Francis Cornwall Sherman won reelection, defeating National Union (Republican) nominee Thomas Barbour Bryan by an extremely narrow quarter percent margin.
In 1862, Sherman had appointed a committee which recommended that Chicago pass a new city charter which would annex Bridgeport and Holstein, lengthen the terms for mayor, treasurer, collector, city attorney, and clerk of police each from one to two years. Ultimately, such a charter and measures came to pass before the 1863 mayoral election. [1] This made 1863 the first mayoral election held to a two-year term. [1] [2]
Since his 1862 mayoral victory, Sherman had, in October 1862, lost a congressional election to Isaac N. Arnold. [1]
The election was held on April 21. [3] It was the third of four Chicago mayoral elections which took place during the course of the American Civil War. [2]
Tensions between the two parties were strong in the spring of 1863. [4] Alderman Charles C. P. Holden had introduced several resolutions which Sherman vetoed for being too partisan. [4] Republicans sought to see Democrats provide greater support for war measures, while Democrats were critical of President Lincoln's handling of the war. [4] At the time the Common Council's swing vote was Alderman Shimp, a Democrat voted with the Republicans. [4]
The Republican (National Union) party nominated Thomas Barbour Bryan. [4] He had previously been an unsuccessful candidate in the 1861 mayoral election. The Democratic Party renominated Mayor Sherman. [4]
Bryan had been a reluctant candidate, as was the case when he ran in 1861. [5]
Sherman's candidacy benefited immensely from the support of Irish and German voters from the newly annexed neighborhoods of the city. [1]
The Chicago Tribune characterized Sherman as being sound in his position on the war, but criticized his affiliation with the Chicago Times and copperheads. [4]
The Bridgeport ward of Chicago was nicknamed the "Egypt of Chicago". [4] Democrats believed the ward would secure Sherman his margin of victory, a prediction which ultimately proved true. [4]
With the exception of the nullified March 1844 mayoral election, Sherman's margin of victory was the narrowest in Chicago mayoral election history. [2]
By winning this election, Sherman became the first individual to be elected to three terms as mayor of Chicago.
In the Common Council elections held simultaneously, nineteen Democrats and twelve Republicans were elected, with an additional seat being vacant. [4] Nearly the entire Democratic ticket was elected by majorities between 250 and 300 votes. [4]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Francis Cornwall Sherman (incumbent) | 10,252 | 50.39 | |
National Union | Thomas Barbour Bryan | 10,095 | 49.62 | |
Turnout | 20,347 | |||
With a narrow vote, Republicans claimed that the Democrats had won through electoral fraud. [4] They appointed a committee to investigate, and Bryan notified Sherman that he would contest the result. [4]
Ultimately, Bryan did not contest. While he believed that he had received a majority of the legal votes, and was pressured by friends to contest the election he was not greatly enough concerned about the result of the election to pursue the process of contesting it. [5]
Francis Cornwall Sherman served as Mayor of Chicago, Illinois, for three terms as a member of the Democratic Party.
Julian Sidney Rumsey served as mayor of Chicago, Illinois (1861–1862) for the Republican Party.
Edward Joseph Kelly was an American politician who served as the 46th Mayor of Chicago from April 17, 1933 until April 15, 1947.
The Chicago mayoral election of 1989 saw Democratic nominee Richard M. Daley win election to the remainder of an unexpired mayoral term with a 14% margin of victory. This marked a return for the Daley family to the office of mayor. Daley was elected over Alderman Timothy Evans, the nominee of the newly formed Harold Washington Party, and the Republican nominee Ed Vrdolyak.
The 1931 Chicago mayoral election was held to elect the Mayor of Chicago. Former Cook County Board of Commissioners President Anton Cermak defeated incumbent mayor William Hale Thompson by a 17-point margin of victory.
In the 1856 Chicago mayoral election, Thomas Dyer defeated former mayor Francis Cornwall Sherman. The race was shaped by the divisive national political debate surrounding the issue of slavery, particularly debate surrounding the controversial Kansas–Nebraska Act, and the election was treated by many as a referendum on it. Dyer vocally supported the act, while Sherman stood in opposition to it.
The 1955 Chicago mayoral election saw Democrat Richard J. Daley win election to his first term as mayor by a ten-point margin over Republican Robert E. Merriam. This was the narrowest margin of victory of any of Daley's mayoral races.
In the Chicago mayoral election of 1935, incumbent Interim Mayor Edward J. Kelly defeated Republican Emil C. Wetten and independent candidate Newton Jenkins by a landslide 60% margin of victory.
The Chicago mayoral election of 1939 was held on April 5, 1939. The election saw incumbent Edward J. Kelly being reelected to a second full term, defeating Dwight H. Green by a double-digit margin.
In the Chicago mayoral election of 1897, Democratic nominee Carter Harrison Jr. was elected, winning a majority of the vote and defeating independent Republican John Maynard Harlan, Republican nominee Nathaniel C. Sears, independent Democrat Washington Hesing, as well as several minor candidates. Harrison carried a 26.7 point lead over second-place finisher Harlan, a margin greater than Harlan's vote share itself.
In the Chicago mayoral election of 1861, Republican Julian Sidney Rumsey defeated People’s nominee Thomas Barbour Bryan by a ten-point margin.
In the Chicago mayoral election of 1862, Democrat Francis Cornwall Sherman won a second non-consecutive term, defeating Republican Party nominee Charles N. Holden.
In the Chicago mayoral election of 1865, Republican John Blake Rice defeated Democratic incumbent Francis Cornwall Sherman by a landslide 33% margin of victory.
In the Chicago mayoral election of 1879, Democrat Carter Harrison Sr. defeated both Republican Abner Wright and socialist Ernst Schmidt in a three-way race. Harrison had a nearly nine point margin of victory.
The Chicago mayoral election of 1881 was held on April 5, saw the incumbent mayor, Democrat Carter Harrison Sr., defeat Republican Candidate John M. Clark. Harrison won a majority of the vote with a nearly twelve point margin of victory.
The Chicago mayoral elections of 1876 is one of only two instances in which a Chicago mayoral election was declared invalid.
The Boston mayoral election of 1868 saw the reelection of Nathaniel B. Shurtleff.
Elections were held in Cook County, Illinois, on November 5, 1946. Republicans took control of most county offices and occupied both seats of the Board of Appeals, although Democrats retained their majority in the Board of Commissioners. The Republican landslide reflected similar trends in state and federal elections at the time but was nevertheless unexpected. It resulted in the resignation of Democratic leader Edward Joseph Kelly and ultimately the end of his tenure as Mayor of Chicago. Republicans failed to capitalize on this victory in the following year's Chicago mayoral election, which was won by Democrat Martin Kennelly.
Thomas Barbour Bryan was an American businessman, lawyer, and politician.
Charles Courtney Pickney Holden was an American politician who served as president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners and served as the president of the Chicago Common Council. He ran unsuccessfully for mayor of Chicago in the 1871 election.