1923 Chicago mayoral election

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1923 Chicago mayoral election
Flag of Chicago, Illinois (1917).svg
←  1919 April 3, 1923 1927  →
Turnout78% Decrease2.svg 10 pp [1]
  William Emmett Dever 1923 headshot (1).jpg Arthur C. Lueder (A).jpg William A Cunnea attorney ACW Chicago strike of 1915 (a).png
Nominee William E. Dever Arthur C. Lueder William A. Cunnea
Party Democratic Republican Socialist
Popular vote390,413258,09441,186
Percentage56.61%37.42%5.97%
Chicago Mayoral Results by Ward, 1923.png
Results by ward [2]
Mayor before election

William H. Thompson
Republican

Elected Mayor

William E. Dever
Democratic

In the Chicago mayoral election of 1923, Democrat William E. Dever defeated Republican Arthur C. Lueder and Socialist William A. Cunnea. Elections were held on April 3, the same day as aldermanic runoffs.

Contents

To win their party's nominations, Dever went unopposed in the Democratic primary election, while Lueder handily defeated three opponents in the Republican Party's primary.

Nominations

Democratic primary

Ahead of 1923, the Democratic Party had long been divided. [3] Carter Harrison Jr. and Edward Fitzsimmons Dunne had once each led factions which held equal prominence to a faction led by Roger Charles Sullivan. However, by the end of the 1910s, Sullivan's wing of the Chicago Democratic Party had dwarfed theirs. By then, the blocs of Harrison and Dunne had effectively united as well. [3] When Sullivan died in 1920, George Brennan became the party leader. He sought to unify the Democratic Party factions. [3]

Dever (right) with George E. Brennan William Emmett Dever with 1923 mayoral election campaign manager George E. Brennan.jpg
Dever (right) with George E. Brennan

While he had been long discussed as a potential mayoral candidate for almost two decades, in 1923, a combination of conditions and events catapulted William E. Dever to the nomination. [3] In December 1922, a number of influential Chicago advocates for clean government had held a forum led by Mrs. Kellog Fairbank and Reverend Graham Taylor at the City Club of Chicago about the pending mayoral election which Clarence Darrow attended. [3] [4] This led to the establishment of the Non-Partisan Citizens Mayoral Committee led by Mrs. Kellog Fairbank, which sought to lobby both parties to put forth truthful alternatives to the corrupt and demagogic mayor Thompson. [3] [4] They decided that they would analyze prospective candidates and compile a shortlist of candidates they would be willing to back. [3] Brennan, who was unable to narrow out the field of prospective candidates to personally back, took an interest in these efforts, seeing them as an opportunity to help inform him in narrowing out the field. [3] The committee ultimately put forth a shortlist of seven prospective candidates they backed, including Judge William E. Dever. [3] Dever had also been championed as a potential candidate by a broad array of individuals, including the Municipal Voters' League's George Sikes, William L. O'Connell (a leader in the party's Harrison-Dunne bloc), and Progressive Republican Harold Ickes. [3] [4] It was believed that Dever could unite the Democratic Party and serve as a clean and honest leader of the city's government. [3] Brennan, particularly impressed that Dever had backing from both members of the Harrison-Dunne faction and from reformers outside of the party, decided to take a closer look at him as a candidate. [3] Upon meeting with him, he found comradery and a positive working dynamic with Dever. He struck an arrangement under which, if elected mayor, he would allow Dever independence, but expected that Dever would, in turn, agree not utilize his patronage powers to build a political machine usurping Brennan's leadership of the party. [3] After finding no opposition to Dever as a candidate from within the party leadership, he announced the next day that Dever was the party-backed candidate for mayor. [3]

Before Dever had become the consensus candidate, among the individuals speculated as prospective candidates by the press was Anton Cermak. [4]

Brennan worked to ensure that Dever was unopposed in the Democratic primary. [4]

Despite Brennan pushing forth Dever's candidacy, the public generally did not view Dever to be a "machine" candidate. [5] The public generally perceived that reformist citizens organizations had advocated Dever to the Democratic party leaders. [5]

The Democratic primary was regarded as having had a large turnout, considering that there were uncontested races for mayor, City Treasurer and City Clerk. [6]

Democratic primary (February 27, 1923) [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic William Emmett Dever 165,338 100
Turnout 165,338
Results by ward [7]
WardDeverDever %
1st5,475100%
2nd1,218100%
3rd1,949100%
4th1,983100%
5th2,034100%
6th2,160100%
7th3,471100%
8th3,184100%
9th2,030100%
10th1,911100%
11th5,873100%
12th3,909100%
13th2,695100%
14th7,636100%
15th5,260100%
16th5,215100%
17th3,117100%
18th4,659100%
19th3,155100%
20th3,921100%
21st3,454100%
22nd3,431100%
23rd4,029100%
24th2,195100%
25th3,053100%
26th3,989100%
27th3,733100%
28th3,833100%
29th6,927100%
30th8,584100%
31st2,625100%
32nd3,401100%
33rd4,222100%
34th3,103100%
35th1,527100%
36th1,440100%
37th3,295100%
38th3,304100%
39th4,154100%
40th2,062100%
41st1,991100%
42nd3,054100%
43rd1,723100%
44th1,942100%
45th3,222100%
46th1,601100%
47th1,998100%
48th1,662100%
49th3,140100%
50th1,789100%
Total165,338100

Republican primary

Due to his poor health, there had been uncertainty as to whether two-term incumbent Republican William H. Thompson would run for reelection. [8] He was also seen as more vulnerable to being unseated by a strong Democratic opponent, as Thompson had severed ties with a number of key political allies, including Robert E. Crowe and Frederick Lundin. [8] One of the final factors in Thompson's decision not to seek reelection was a scandal involving campaign manager being implicated in shaking down vendors of school supplies for bribes and political contributions. [9] Thompson had bled middle class support over rumors of corruption in his administration, and had bled support from working class votes over his backing at the time of Prohibition, which Chicago voters had made their opposition known by a margin in excess of eighty-points in a 1919 referendum on the matter. [10] Uneager to joust with Dever, nearly a week after Dever became the presumptive Democratic candidate, Thompson announced his decision not to run with only a month before the Republican primary. [3] [8] This created an open race for the nomination.

Candidates

Edward R. Litsinger performed the strongest among the primary opponents that Lueder defeated Edward R. Listinger.png
Edward R. Litsinger performed the strongest among the primary opponents that Lueder defeated

Campaign

Arthur C. Lueder was backed by the Brundage-McCormick/Tribune and Deneen blocs of the party. [3] [4] [6] He was also backed by Robert E. Crowe. [6] Lueder ran on a "ticket", mutually being endorsed by and endorsing city treasurer candidate John V. Healy and city clerk candidate William H. Cruden, neither of whom were opposed in their primaries. [6]

Edward R. Litsinger was backed by the William Randolph Hearst and Frederick Lundin blocs of the party, and was also the candidate supported by the remaining members of Thompson's dwindling faction of the party. [6]

Bernard P. Barasa ran on a pro-liquor platform amid prohibition. [6]

Results

Lueder won a greater margin of victory than even his own campaign had expected. [6]

Republican primary (February 27, 1923) [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Arthur C. Lueder 128,704 42.76
Republican Edward R. Litsinger74,56024.77
Republican Arthur M. Millard51,05416.96
Republican Bernard P. Barasa46,69015.51
Turnout 301,008

Socialist nomination

William A. Cunnea was nominated by the Socialist Party. [12] Cunnea had been a Democratic nominee for alderman in 1899, and had been the Socialist nominee for Cook County State's Attorney in 1912 and 1916. [12] [13] [14] By profession, Cunnea was a labor lawyer. [15]

General election

Campaigning

Lueder and his wife cast their votes Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Lueder voting at the front of a line in a room (1).jpg
Lueder and his wife cast their votes
William Cunnea and his wife cast their votes William Cunnea and wife voting in 1923 Chicago mayoral election.jpg
William Cunnea and his wife cast their votes

Both major party candidates campaigned as reformers. [3] On March 18, 1923, Oscar Hewitt of the "Chicago Tribune" characterized the campaign one of the “mildest” [16]

At the time of the election, Chicago was seen as a Republican-leaning city, especially due to the influx of black voters to the city as part of the Great Migration, a demographic largely voted for the Republican Party at the time. Furthermore, the city had not voted Democratic in a presidential election over the previous three decades, with the Republican nominees carrying the city's vote in all but the 1912 presidential election when former Republican president Theodore Roosevelt carried the city on the third party Progressive Party ticket. [16] However, factors harming the Republican Party's prospects included a divide among the party's ranks, the scandals that had tarnished Thompson's administration, and tax increases made during Thompson's mayoralty. [6] [17]

Dever was only the second resident of Edgewater to run for mayor, after only Nathaniel Sears, and consequentially would be the first Edgewater resident to serve as mayor. [18] Dever had a strong reputation for honesty, and was seen to be smart and well-spoken. [3] He was supported by many reformers and independents. Many went so far as to organize the Independent Dever League, a group created to act in support of Dever's campaign. [3] Dever won strong backing from progressive independents. [4]

The traction issue reemerged in this election. Lueder promised to "study" the possibility of municipal purchase of street railways. [3] [4] Dever, on the other hand, was far more enthusiastic on the issue, proclaiming that the most critical task for the victor of the election would be to resolve problems with the city's public transit. [3] [4] These problems included price increases and declining quality of service provided by the Chicago Surface Lines. [3] A long time advocate for municipal ownership, Dever believed that it would be ideal for the city to buy-out the Chicago Surface Lines once their franchise expired in 1927. [3] He also had hopes of possibly acquiring the Chicago Rapid Transit Company. [3] Socialist Cunnea campaigned for a 5-cent fare. [12]

Lueder offered a strong contrast to the incumbent Republican mayor, being dignified and soft-spoken, with a strong reputation of personal integrity. [3] Thompson did not campaign at all on behalf of Republican candidate Lueder. [3] Lueder had strong support from the business community. [4] Running a tidy campaign, positioning himself as a nonpolitical businessman, Lueder focused on securing the support of the Republican Party's factions. [4] He maintained his support from the Brundage-McCormick and Deneen factions and picked up the backing of key figures from the Thompson faction of the party despite Thompson's own refusal to back him. [4]

Lueder attempted to portray himself as an expert administrator. [19] Lueder argued that his experience in real estate and as postmaster had sufficiently prepared him for the administrative role of the mayoralty, asserting that it provided a more valuable experience than holding various minor elected posts. [4] He stated, "I believe what the people want is a businessman for mayor. I believe that want a man who will devote his time to his duties as mayor of Chicago, and not building up a political machine. [4]

Lueder refused to formally debate Dever, despite Dever's request for debates. [4] However, on numerous occasions they spoke at the same events. [4]

Eugene V. Debs actively campaigned for Socialist nominee William A. Cunnea. [20]

The campaign was largely uneventful, with little tenuous debate or controversy arising. [3] [21] However, in the final stretch of the campaign, a level of anti-Catholic sentiment was vocalized by select segments of Chicago's population that were unhappy at the prospect of Dever, as a Catholic, being mayor. [3] [4] [21] [19] At the same time, some made an effort at the close of the election to draw a link between the Ku Klux Klan and the Republican campaign. [21] Outside of this last minute heightening of discourse in select corners, the campaign proved to be relatively tame. [21]

Endorsements

William A. Cunnea
Individuals
William E. Dever
Individuals
Newspapers
Arthur C. Lueder
Individuals
Newspapers

Polling

Early into the race the candidates ran close in the polls. [4] However, Dever took a strong lead in the race. [4] By the end of the race, gambling boss James Patrick O'Leary had assigned 1-7 betting odds in favor of a Dever victory. [3] [4]

Chicago Tribune straw polls

The Chicago Tribune conducted straw polls during a portion of the campaign. These were not modern scientific polls, and many focused on specific sub-portions of the city's populace, rather than true representative samples.

Tribune began conducting these polls on March 7, 1923, with the first being published the next day. [22] By March 18, the Tribune's analysis of its polling was that Dever began the general election campaign with an advantage over Lueder. [16]

The final amalgamation of the polls predicted Dever receiving 52.21%, Leuder receiving 39.37, and Cunnea receiving 8.42%. It had predicted 378,000 votes for Dever, 285,000 votes for Lueder, and 61,000 votes for Cunnea. The prediction of total votes for Lueder proved to be extremely accurate. After the election, the newspaper argued that the reason its polls predicted a larger socialist vote was because industrial workers were proportionally a greater share of those questioned in the straw polls than a share of the election vote. They also found that they had underestimated the share that Dever would receive of the black vote. [1]

Chicago Tribune straw polls
Date
published		Sample
size		William Emmett Dever
(Democrat)		Arthur Leuder
(Republican)		William A. Cunnea
(Socialist)		UncommittedLead
April 1, 1923 [23] 11,89258.85%34.41%6.74%—+24.44
March 31, 1923 [24] 5,072 [lower-alpha 1] 46.75%47.99%5.26%—+1.24
March 30, 1923 [25] 4,376 [lower-alpha 2] 62.50%30.53%6.97%—+32.97
March 29, 1923 [26] 3,582 [lower-alpha 3] 57.45%37.13%5.42%—+10.32
March 28, 1923 [27] 3,644 [lower-alpha 4] 57.44%37.90%4.67%—+19.54
March 27, 1923 [28] 1,080 [lower-alpha 5] 46.57%44.81%8.61%—+1.76
March 26, 1923 [29] 6,323 [lower-alpha 6] 51.72%41.50%6.78%—+10.22
March 25, 1923 [30] 8,145 [lower-alpha 7] 30.83%38.83%1.47%28.86%+8.00
March 24, 1923 [31] 2,051 [lower-alpha 8] 59.39%28.96%11.65%—+30.43
March 23, 1923 [32] 2,064 [lower-alpha 9] 44.77%33.19%22.04%—+11.58
March 22, 1923 [33] 2,362 [lower-alpha 10] 56.90%33.78%9.31%—+23.12
March 21, 1923 [34] 1,258 [lower-alpha 11] 46.58%47.22%6.20%—+0.64
March 20, 1923 [35] 6,443 [lower-alpha 12] 41.49%54.23%4.28%—+12.74
March 19, 1923 [36] 4,461 [lower-alpha 13] 47.39%46.25%6.37%—+1.14
March 18, 1923 [16] 3,566 [lower-alpha 14] 45.40%47.78%6.81%—+2.38
March 16, 1923 [37] 2,199 [lower-alpha 15] 66.35%21.46%12.19%—+44.95
March 15, 1923 [38] 1,557 [lower-alpha 16] 52.99%39.69%7.32%—+13.30
March 14, 1923 [39] 1,183 [lower-alpha 17] 17.67%59.43%15.30%—+41.76
March 13, 1923 [40] 681 [lower-alpha 18] 83.26%12.04%4.70%—+71.22
March 12, 1923 [41] 1,647 [lower-alpha 19] 33.09%63.27%3.64%—+30.18
March 11, 1923 [42] 3,257 [lower-alpha 20] 58.77%34.45%6.79%—+23.32
March 10, 1923 [43] 1,283 [lower-alpha 21] 45.91%49.81%4.29%—+3.90
March 9, 1923 [44] 2,762 [lower-alpha 22] 48.59%44.06%5.18%—+4.53
March 8, 1923 [22] 3,680 [lower-alpha 23] 49.0253.53%5.08%—+4.51
Notes on polling samples
  1. ↑ Survey of white-collar workers at downtown office buildings. Buildings were the Wrigley Building, Old Colony Building, Commonwealth Edison Building, Lumber Exchange Building, Title & Trust Building, Ashland Block, Conway Building, McCormick Building, Peoples Gas Building, Chamber of Commerce Building, Westminster Building, Railway Exchange Building, Transportation Building, and Monadnock Building . [24]
  2. ↑ Straw poll conducted outside of sixteen movie theaters (Armitage, Ashland, Atlantic, Boulevard, Brighton, Crescent, Halfield, Harvard, Julian, Langley, Marshall Square, Oakley, Orpheus, People's, Schindler's, Woodlawn). [25]
  3. ↑ Straw poll conducted outside of thirteen Ascher Brothers theaters: Oakland Square, Metropolitan, Frolle, Commercial, West Englewood, Cosmopolitan, Crown, Terminal, Portage Park, Lane Court, Chateau, Salo, Kenwood [26]
  4. ↑ Straw poll conducted outside of twelve movie theaters operated by Lubliner & Trinz (including the Biograph Theater, Covent Garden Theatre, Knickerbocker Theatre, Pantheon Theater, Paramount Theatre, Michigan Theatre, Senate Theatre, Wilson Theater, Vitagraph Theatre, and West End Theatre) [27]
  5. ↑ Poll aimed to survey "highbrow" citizens. Places/events canvassed included: intersection of Monroe Street and Wabash Avenue; intersection of State Street and Van Buren Street; Randolph Street Station; Culture Club tea event at the La Salle Hotel; Illinois Chamber of Commerce meeting, and a gathering at a theater. [28]
  6. ↑ 2,519 surveyed at theaters, 2,363 interview at Chicago "L" stations, 1,441 interviewed on business streets. Among theaters: 166 surveyed at the Douglas, 133 at the Crown, 52 at the Star, 73 at the Atlantic, 223 at the Karlov, 448 at the Harvard, 230 at the Armitage, 639 at the McVicker's, 275 at the Majestic, 280 at the Lin. Hippodrome. Among "L" Stations: 330 surveyed at State/Lake, 625 at Van Buren/State, 637 for north side trains at Madison/Wabash, 465 for west side trains at Madison/Wabash. For business streets: 308 at Blue Island Avenue south of Roosevelt Road, 225 at Roosevelt Road west of Paulina Street, 239 along North Avenue west of Kedzie Avenue, 234 along 22nd Street west of Marshall Boulevard, 178 along Chicago Avenue west of Cicero Avenue, 258 along Madison Street west of California Avenue. [29]
  7. ↑ Poll conducted via telephone [30]
  8. ↑ Poll of six main thoroughfares on the West Side selected due to the large number of small businesses (poll aimed to find the opinion of "small business men". Locations were: North Avenue and Milwaukee Avenue west; between the intersections of Milwaukee Avenue & Grand Avenue and Grand Avenue & North Avenue; Chicago Avenue and Milwaukee Avenue west; Madison Street and Ogden Avenue west; Roosevelt Road and Halsted Street west; 22nd Street and Wood Street west [31]
  9. ↑ Straw poll of industrial workers. Locations included: Pullman Company car shops, B. Kuppenheimer & Co., RR Donnelley, V.F. Hall Printing Co., Engers & Hall printers, La Salle Engraving Co., Blakeley-Oswald Printing Co., Kohl-Madden Printing Ink Co., Schulze Baking Company [32]
  10. ↑ Straw poll of industrial employees. The Chicago Tribune described those questioned as, "employees making electrical apparatus, musical instruments, addressograph machines, stoves, candy, foundry products and steel". Firms surveyed were Benjamin Electric Manufacturing Company, Kellogg Switchboard and Supply Company, Lyon & Healy musical instruments, The Addressograph Co.'s office and factory, Cribben & Sexton stoves, Bunte Candy Company, Crane Company, and the Illinois Steel Company. [33]
  11. ↑ Straw poll conducted at movie theaters in the new 43rd ward (the Criterion, Clybourn, Dearborn, Ideal, Janet, Mohawk, Orchard, and Windsor theaters. The poll's 1,258 respondents were roughly one-tenth of the 12,666 voters that the Tribune projected would vote in the ward if voter turnout in the ward reached 80%. The Chicago Tribune opined that the Lueder's narrow lead solidly indicated that Lueder was favored to carry the ward. This assertion was partly based both upon evidence in an earlier Chicago Tribune poll. It was also based on the geographic location of the theaters, which the newspaper believed precluded the participation of many from the Republican-leaning lake shore area of the ward. It was further based a suspicion the newspaper made (based upon assumptions related to economic class) that residents of the Republican-learning lake shore area in the ward possibly did not as attend movies as frequently as other residents of the ward. [34]
  12. ↑ Survey of white-collar workers at downtown office buildings. Buildings were the Wrigley Building, Old Colony Building, Commonwealth Edison Building, Lumber Exchange Building, Title & Trust Building, Ashland Block, National Life Building, New York Life Insurance Building, Reaper Block, Conway Building, McCormick Building, Peoples Gas Building, Chamber of Commerce Building, Monroe Building, Tower Building, Westminster Building, Railway Exchange Building, Transportation Building, and Monadnock Building. [35]
  13. ↑ Straw poll conducted at Chicago "L" stations. Stations were Quincy/Wells, Clark/Lake, Adams/Wabash, State/Lake, Randolph/Wells, Randolph/Wabash, Madison/Wabash, LaSalle/Van Buren, Marshfield, and Wilson. [36]
  14. ↑ Straw poll conducted outside of the five large movie theaters operated by Balaban and Katz. Two were located on the South Side, two were located in the Chicago Loop, one was located on the North Side, and one was located on the West Side. [16]
  15. ↑ Straw poll of streetcar men, conducted outside of seven streetcar barns (located at the corners of Kedzie and Van Buren; 69th and Ashland; Cicero and North, Clark and Dewey; 38th and Cottage Grove; Lincoln and Sheffield; Clark and Devon). [37]
  16. ↑ Straw poll conducted outside of several theaters: Lyric in the 2nd ward, Franklin in the 2nd ward, Langley in the 6th ward, Woodlawn in the 6th ward, Marshall Square in the 21st ward, Atlantic in the 23rd ward, Oakley in the 34th ward, Buckingham in the 46th ward, and Lakeside in the 48th ward. [38]
  17. ↑ Straw poll aimed to assess the views of German-American voters. Straw poll was conducted at men's meeting held at Social Turner Hall, men's meeting held at Lincoln Turner Hall, men's skat club at Social Turner Hall, Victorian players event at Social Turner Hall, women's bunco party at Social Turner Hall, dance at Vorwaerts Turner Hall, men's meeting at Heidelberg Hall, and men's meeting at Mozart Hall. [39]
  18. ↑ Straw poll aimed to assess the views of Polish-American voters. Straw poll was conducted at Pulaski Hall at 13th Street and Ashland Avenue; Lyric Theater at 1217 Milwaukee Avenue; the area near the intersection of 51st Street and Throop Street; the Polish National Alliance headquarters; St. Joseph Catholic Union at 48th Street and Paulina Street; Chopin Theatre at Milwaukee Avenue and Division Street; Holy Trinity Church banquet. [40]
  19. ↑ Poll of "colored" voters in an area of the city bounded by 31st street, 35th street, State Street, and Indiana Avenue. [41]
  20. ↑ Straw poll conducted outside of movie theaters in several wards (per the pre-1923 ward map). The pre-1923 fourth ward saw two theaters polled (the Vista and New Park theaters), as did the 43rd ward (Criterion and Plaza theaters). All other wards surveyed only had polls conducted at one theater. The other theaters were the Brighton (12th ward) People’s (13th ward), Halfield (14th ward) Boulevard (16th ward), Orpheum (26th ward), Ashland (27th ward), Tiffin (30th ward), Schindler (31st ward), Crescent (38th ward), Windsor (43rd ward), and the Julian (46th ward). [42]
  21. ↑ Straw poll conducted during "second shows" during night at nine theaters: Oakland, Kenwood, West Englewood, Cosmopolitan, Terminal, Lane Court, Chateau, and Calo. [43]
  22. ↑ Straw poll conducted during after first nighttime showings at several movie theaters. The theaters were the Oakland in the 3rd ward, Metropolitan in the 4th ward, Kenwood in the 5th ward, Frolic in the 5th ward, Commercial in the 10th ward, West Englewood in the 126th ward, Cosmopolitan in the 19th ward, Crown in the 32nd ward, Terminal in the 40th ward, Portage Park in the 41st ward, Lane Court in the 43r ward, Chateau in the 48th ward, and Salo in the 50th ward. [44]
  23. ↑ Straw poll of conducted at fifteen Lubliner & Trinz theaters: the Michigan in ward 3, Wilson in ward 28, Crawford in ward 29, Senate in ward 29, Madison Square in ward 30, West End in ward 30, Paramount in ward 29, Covent Garden in ward 44, Biography in ward 44, Vintagraph in ward 45, Lakeside in ward 48, Pantheon in ward 48, Knickerbocker in ward 49, Ellantee in wards 49 and 50, Pershing in ward 50. [22]

Results

Celebration of Dever's victory featuring Dever and other prominent Chicago Democrats Celebration of William Emmett Dever's 1923 victory.jpg
Celebration of Dever's victory featuring Dever and other prominent Chicago Democrats

The voter turnout in the election (78%) was the second-lowest in at least 24 years, behind only the 74% that participated in the 1901 election. [1]

Dever's performance was strong. With the exception of William Hale Thompson's 147,477 margin of victory in 1915, no mayor had carried a mayoral election in Chicago with a margin of victory exceeding 25,000 in the previous two decades. [16] [1] Dever had a 132,319 vote margin of victory.

Dever won thirty-two of the city's fifty wards [3] (the 1923 election was the first after the city had redistricted itself from 35 to 50 wards). [4] His greatest share of votes was in the city's ten inner-city ethnic wards, located in traditional Democratic strongholds. [3] Lueder won the wards in traditionally-Republican areas on the edge of the city. [3] However, Dever made inroads with voters in these edge wards. [3] Dever also had made inroads among Black and Jewish voters. [3] [4]

Dever received 83.47% of the Polish-American vote, while Lueder received 12.43% and Cunnea received 4.04%. [45]

Dever received more than 80% of the Italian American vote. [4]

Dever received 53% of the African American vote by some accounts. [4] This was a change from the typical voting pattern of Chicago African American voters, who regularly voted for the Republican Party. [46]

Dever received slightly less than half of the Swedish American and German American votes. [4]

1919 Chicago mayoral election (general election) [1] [47]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic William E. Dever 390,413 56.61
Republican Arthur C. Lueder 258,09437.42
Socialist William A. Cunnea 41,1865.97
Turnout 689,69389

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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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louis B. Anderson</span> American politician

Louis Bernard Anderson was an American politician who served as alderman of Chicago's 2nd ward from 1917 to 1933. A Republican, he served most of the Douglas community area, including much of the African-American neighborhood of Bronzeville. He was a prominent ally of mayor William Hale Thompson, and served as his floor leader throughout the 1920s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1975 Chicago mayoral election</span> Municipal election

The Chicago mayoral election of 1975 was held on April 1, 1975. Democratic Party incumbent Richard J. Daley was elected to a record sixth term as mayor by a landslide 59% margin over Republican nominee John J. Hoellen Jr. Only one other individual has since matched Daley's feat of winning six Chicago mayoral elections. This was the first Chicago mayoral election since the ratification of the Twenty-sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which lowered the voting age from 21 to 18.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1905 Chicago mayoral election</span>

In the Chicago mayoral election of 1905, Democrat Edward F. Dunne defeated Republican John Maynard Harlan and Socialist John Collins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1911 Chicago mayoral election</span>

In the 1911 Chicago mayoral election, Democrat Carter Harrison Jr. was elected to his fifth non-consecutive term as mayor, tying the then-record set by his father Carter Harrison Sr. for the most Chicago mayoral election victories. Harrison defeated Republican nominee Charles E. Merriam and Socialist nominee William E. Rodriguez.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1907 Chicago mayoral election</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">1915 Chicago mayoral election</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">1919 Chicago mayoral election</span>

In the Chicago mayoral election of 1919, Republican William H. Thompson won reelection, winning a four way race against Democrat Robert Sweitzer, independent candidate Maclay Hoyne, and Cook County Labor Party candidate John Fitzpatrick. Sweitzer was the incumbent Cook County clerk, while Hoyne was the incumbent Cook County state's attorney. Fitzpatrick was a trade unionist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1899 Chicago mayoral election</span>

In the Chicago mayoral election of 1899, Democrat Carter Harrison Jr. was reelected, winning a plurality of the vote and defeating Republican nominee Zina R. Carter, former Illinois governor John Peter Altgeld, as well as several minor candidates by a double-digit margin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1901 Chicago mayoral election</span>

In the Chicago mayoral election of 1901, Democrat Carter Harrison Jr. was reelected to a third term, defeating Republican nominee Elbridge Hanecy by a 9.5% margin of victory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1903 Chicago mayoral election</span>

In the Chicago mayoral election of 1903, Democrat Carter Harrison Jr. was reelected to a fourth term, defeating Republican nominee Graeme Stewart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Cook County, Illinois, elections</span>

The Cook County, Illinois, general election was held on November 3, 2020. Elections were held for Clerk of the Circuit Court, State's Attorney, Cook County Board of Review district 1, three seats on the Water Reclamation District Board, and judgeships on the Circuit Court of Cook County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Dill Robertson</span> American politician

John Dill Robertson was a medical professional and politician. He served as Chicago city health commissioner, president of the Chicago Board of Education, and president of the Chicago West Parks Board. In 1927, Robertson ran a third-party campaign for Chicago mayor. As a politician, Thompson was affiliated with the Republican Party. He was an ally of Republican boss Frederick Lundin, and prior to his 1927 mayoral campaign against him, had also long been an ally of William Hale Thompson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Hale Thompson 1927 mayoral campaign</span> Political campaign in Chicago

The William Hale Thompson 1927 mayoral campaign was the successful campaign of Republican William Hale Thompson for a third nonconsecutive term as mayor of Chicago in the 1927 Chicago mayoral election. The campaign saw him defeat incumbent Democrat William Emmett Dever, as well as a third-party effort by John Dill Robertson.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Hewitt, Oscar (March 28, 1923). "Election Results Shows Accuracy of Tribune Poll" . Newspapers.com. Oscar Hewitt. Retrieved October 23, 2022.
  2. ↑ "Dever sweeps in by 103,748". The Chicago Daily Tribune. April 4, 1923. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 The Mayors: The Chicago Political Tradition, fourth edition by Paul M. Green, Melvin G. Holli SIU Press, Jan 10, 2013
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 Schmidt, John R. (1989). "The Mayor Who Cleaned Up Chicago" A Political Biography of William E. Dever. DeKalb, Illinois: Northern Illinois University Press.
  5. 1 2 Yarros, Victor S. (July 1926). "Sketches of American Mayors IV. William E. Dever of Chicago". National Municipal Review. XV (7).
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Thompson Men Lose in Chicago Primaries, Lueder Winning the Nomination for Mayor". The New York Times. February 28, 1923. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  7. 1 2 3 "Mayoralty Vote by Wards" . Chicago Tribune. February 28, 1923. Retrieved October 25, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  8. 1 2 3 Schottenhamel, George (1952). "How Big Bill Thompson Won Control of Chicago". Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society. 45 (1): 30–49. ISSN   0019-2287. JSTOR   40189189.
  9. ↑ McClelland, Edward. "The Most Corrupt Public Official In Illinois History: William Hale Thompson". NBC Chicago. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
  10. ↑ Cohen, Adam; Taylor, Elizabeth (2001). American Pharaoh: Mayor Richard J. Daley – His Battle for Chicago and the Nation. Little, Brown. p. 37. ISBN   978-0-7595-2427-9 . Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  11. ↑ "The Daily News Almanac and Political Register for ..." Chicago Daily News Company. 1923. p. 785. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  12. 1 2 3 Headley, Kathleen J.; Krol, Tracy J. (October 19, 2015). Legendary Locals of Chicago Lawn and West Lawn. Arcadia Publishing. p. 34. ISBN   978-1-4396-5409-5.
  13. ↑ Illinois: A Descriptive and Historical Guide. US History Publishers. 1971. p. 42. ISBN   978-1-60354-012-4 . Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  14. ↑ Headley, Kathleen J.; Krol, Tracy J. (2015). Legendary Locals of Chicago Lawn and West Lawn. Arcadia Publishing. p. 34. ISBN   978-1-4396-5409-5 . Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  15. ↑ "RADICALS: Active Debs". Time. March 17, 1923. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 6
  17. ↑ "For Mayor of Chicago". The New York Times. February 24, 1927. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
  18. ↑ "Edgewater Teasers Vol. XVI No. 3 – FALL 2005". Edgewater History. Retrieved February 13, 2019.
  19. 1 2 Bukowski, Douglas (1998). Big Bill Thompson, Chicago, and the Politics of Image. University of Illinois Press.
  20. 1 2 "Debs-Cunnea Meeting". Newberry. La Parola del Popolo. March 3, 1923. Retrieved March 15, 2019.[ permanent dead link ]
  21. 1 2 3 4 "Clean campaign marks Chicago city election". Prescott Evening Courier. Associated Press. April 3, 1923. p. 1.
  22. 1 2 3 Hewitt, Oscar (March 8, 1923). "Chicago Tribune 08 Mar 1923, page 1" . Chicago Tribune. Retrieved November 21, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  23. ↑ Hewitt, Oscar (April 1, 1923). "Lead Between 62,000-92,000 Vote Indicates" . Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 23, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  24. 1 2 Hewitt, Oscar (March 31, 1923). "Push Fight on Mayoralty to Final Minute" . Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 23, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  25. 1 2 Hewitt, Oscar (March 30, 1923). "Dever Increases His Poll Lead at Rapid Rate" . Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 23, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  26. 1 2 Hewitt, Oscar (March 29, 1923). "Dever Gains Strength in Tribune Poll" . Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 23, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  27. 1 2 Hewitt, Oscar (March 28, 1923). "Dever Upsets Lueder Lead in Twelve Movies" . Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 23, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  28. 1 2 Hewitt, Oscar (March 26, 1923). "New Test Puts Socialist Vote at Some 85,000" . Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 27, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  29. 1 2 Hewitt, Oscar (March 26, 1923). "Dever Keeping Lead in Poll, Check Shows" . Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 23, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  30. 1 2 Hewitt, Oscar (March 21, 1923). "Lueder Outlines Contract with City's People" . Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 23, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  31. 1 2 Hewitt, Oscar (March 24, 1923). "Small Business Men of W. Side Vote for Dever" . Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 23, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  32. 1 2 Hewitt, Oscar (March 23, 1923). "Workers' Vote for Dever, But Not "Solidly"" . Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 23, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  33. 1 2 Hewitt, Oscar (March 22, 1923). "Dever Leading in Vote of Labor, Poll Indicates" . Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 23, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  34. 1 2 Hewitt, Oscar (March 21, 1923). "Lueder Slight Favorite in 43d Ward, Tribune Poll Shows" . Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 23, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  35. 1 2 Hewitt, Oscar (March 15, 1923). "Joy to Lueder, Gloom to Foes in Poll Data" . Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 23, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  36. 1 2 Hewitt, Oscar (March 21, 1923). "Lueder "Leads by a Nose" in 2 Tribune Polls" . Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 23, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  37. 1 2 Hewitt, Oscar (March 16, 1923). "Car Men Switch Back from 1919 Ride with G. O. P." . Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 23, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  38. 1 2 Hewitt, Oscar (March 15, 1923). "Dever Men Drive Hard as Lueder's Rest, Poll Hints" . Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 23, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  39. 1 2 Hewitt, Oscar (March 14, 1923). "German' Voters 67% for Lueder on Face of Poll" . Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 23, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  40. 1 2 Hewitt, Oscar (March 13, 1923). "Dever Has Jump on Lueder in Polish Homes" . Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 23, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  41. 1 2 Hewitt, Oscar (March 12, 1923). "Dever Quietly Enlists Many Colored Votes" . Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 23, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  42. 1 2 Hewitt, Oscar (March 11, 1923). "Dever Jumps Into Lead in Tribune Poll" . Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 23, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  43. 1 2 Hewitt, Oscar (March 11, 1923). "Socialists To MaKe Some Gain Poll Indicates" . Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 23, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  44. 1 2 Hewitt, Oscar (March 9, 1923). "Dever Gains in Mayoralty Poll" . Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 23, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  45. ↑ Kantowicz, Edward (1972). "The Emergence of the Polish-Democratic Vote in Chicago". Polish American Studies. 29 (1/2): 67–80. ISSN   0032-2806. JSTOR   20147849.
  46. ↑ "Crisis". 1923.
  47. ↑ "RaceID=123292". Our Campaigns. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
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