1951 Boston mayoral election

The Boston mayoral election of 1951 occurred on Tuesday, November 6, 1951, between Mayor of Boston John B. Hynes and former Mayor James Michael Curley. Hynes was elected to his second term.

1951 Boston mayoral election

November 6, 1951

Candidate John B. Hynes James Michael Curley Party Nonpartisan Nonpartisan Popular vote 154,206 76,354 Percentage 66.88% 33.12%

Mayor before election John B. Hynes Elected Mayor John B. Hynes

This was the first Boston mayoral race with a preliminary election, which was held on Tuesday, September 25, 1951. In November 1949, voters had approved changing the structure of future mayoral contests to include a preliminary election, non-partisan in nature, to select two final candidates in advance of each general election, which would remain non-partisan.[1] It also shifted the years in which elections would be held. The first such election had been set for 1951,[1] meaning that Hynes' first term was only two years in duration.

Inaugural exercises were held Monday, January 7, 1952.[2]

Candidates

• James Michael Curley, Mayor of Boston from 1914 to 1918, 1922 to 1926, 1930 to 1934, 1946 to 1950. Member of the United States House of Representatives from 1913 to 1914 and from 1943 to 1947. Governor of Massachusetts from 1935 to 1937. Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1902–1903.
• John B. Hynes, Mayor of Boston, Massachusetts since 1950, Acting Mayor in 1947.

Candidates eliminated in preliminary

• Thomas J. O'Brien, resident of Roxbury.[3]
• Joseph F. Timilty, Boston Police Commissioner from 1936 to 1943.

Results

Candidates	Preliminary Election[4]		General Election[5]
	Votes	%	Votes	%
John B. Hynes (incumbent)	108,414	53.41	154,206	66.88
James Michael Curley	77,268	38.07	76,354	33.12
Joseph F. Timilty	15,890	7.83
Thomas J. O'Brien	1,406	0.69

See also

• List of mayors of Boston, Massachusetts

References

1. "Plan A Wins; Boston to Get New Charter". The Boston Globe. November 9, 1949. p. 1. Retrieved March 2, 2018 – via pqarchiver.com.
2. "Hynes and Score of Other Mayors Take Oath Today". The Boston Globe. January 7, 1952. p. 1. Retrieved March 16, 2018 – via pqarchiver.com.
3. Lewis, William (August 23, 1951). "Dark Horse May Enter Boston's Mayoralty Race". The Boston Globe. p. 1. Retrieved March 3, 2018 – via pqarchiver.com.
4. Annual Report of the Election Department. 1952. p. 44.
5. Annual Report of the Election Department. 192. p. 136.

External links

• Boston Mayor Race - Nov 06, 1951 at ourcampaigns.com