1921 Boston mayoral election

The Boston mayoral election of 1921 occurred on Tuesday, December 13, 1921. James Michael Curley, who had previously served as Mayor of Boston (1914–1918), was elected for the second time, defeating three other candidates.[1]

Boston mayoral election, 1921

December 13, 1921

Candidate James Michael Curley John R. Murphy Charles S. O'Connor Party Nonpartisan Nonpartisan Nonpartisan Popular vote 74,261 71,791 10,844 Percentage 46.1% 44.5% 6.7%

Mayor before election Andrew James Peters Elected Mayor James Michael Curley

In 1918, the Massachusetts state legislature had passed legislation making the Mayor of Boston ineligible to serve consecutive terms.[2] Thus, incumbent Andrew James Peters was unable to run for re-election.

Due to the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920, this was the first Boston municipal election that women could vote in.[3]

Curley was inaugurated on Monday, February 6, 1922.[4]

Candidates

• Charles S. Baxter, former Mayor of Medford from 1901 to 1904[5]
• James Michael Curley, former member of the United States House of Representatives from 1913 to 1914, Mayor of Boston from 1914 to 1918
• John R. Murphy, former Commissioner of the Boston Fire Department[1]
• Charles S. O'Connor, member of the Boston School Committee[5]

Withdrew

• Joseph C. Pelletier, District Attorney of Suffolk County, Massachusetts[6]

Results

Candidates	General Election[7]
	Votes	%
James Michael Curley	74,261	46.1%
John R. Murphy	71,791	44.5%
Charles S. O'Connor	10,844	6.7%
Charles S. Baxter	4,268	2.6%
all others	22	0.0%

See also

• List of mayors of Boston, Massachusetts

References

1. "Curley Chosen Boston Mayor; Plurality, 2,315". The Washington Post. AP. December 14, 1921. Retrieved March 14, 2018 – via newspapers.com.
2. "REPORT BILL TO STOP CONSECUTIVE TERMS". The Boston Globe. February 26, 1918. p. 6. Retrieved March 12, 2018 – via pqarchiver.com.
3. Merrill, John D. (December 13, 1921). "EXPECT TOTAL VOTE OF 150,000 TO 160,000". The Boston Globe. p. 1. Retrieved March 16, 2018 – via pqarchiver.com.
4. "CURLEY TAKES OFFICE TODAY". The Boston Globe. February 6, 1922. p. 1. Retrieved March 16, 2018 – via pqarchiver.com.
5. "BAXTER ENTERS MAYORALTY RACE". The Boston Globe. October 6, 1921. p. 1. Retrieved March 14, 2018 – via pqarchiver.com.
6. "Pelletier Quits Mayoralty Race". New-York Tribune. New York City. December 3, 1921. Retrieved March 14, 2018 – via newspapers.com.
7. Annual Report of the Election Department. City of Boston. 1921. p. 30. Retrieved March 14, 2018.

Further reading

• "MAYORALTY GOES TO CURLEY BY 2698 VOTES CARRIES EVEN MURPHY HOME DISTRICT". The Boston Globe. December 14, 1921. p. 1. Retrieved March 14, 2018 – via pqarchiver.com.
• "Boston Elects Curley Mayor by 2,315 Lead; Women Defeat 'Good Government' Nominee". The New York Times. December 14, 1921. p. 1. Retrieved March 21, 2018 – via newspapers.com.

External links

• Boston Mayor Race - Dec 13, 1921 at ourcampaigns.com