1849 Chicago mayoral election

Summary

In the Chicago mayoral election of 1849, incumbent James H. Woodworth was reelected in a landslide.

1849 Chicago mayoral election
← 1848
1850 →
 
Nominee James H. Woodworth Timothy Wait Lewis C. Kerchival
Party Independent Democrat Others Others
Popular vote 2,668 399 245
Percentage 80.02% 11.97% 7.35%

Mayor before election

James H. Woodworth
Independent Democrat

Elected Mayor

James H. Woodworth
Independent Democrat

This election made Woodworth the first Chicago mayor to be successfully reelected to a second consecutive term (an accolade that would have belonged to Augustus Garrett had the results of the March 1844 Chicago mayoral election not been declared null). Woodworth was also only the third mayor to be elected to a second term, after only Benjamin Wright Raymond and Augustus Garrett.

Campaign edit

The election is notable for the lack of political party involvement.[1] With the major national political parties disintegrating over the national debate surrounding slavery, the 1849 mayoral campaign lacked party conventions to nominate candidates.[1] Instead, candidates were self-nominated.[1] There was also a lack of party-organized efforts to support any candidate.[1]

Results edit

1849 Chicago mayoral election[1][2][3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Democrat James H. Woodworth (incumbent) 2,668 80.02
Other Timothy Wait 399 11.97
Other Lewis C. Kerchival 245 7.35
Other S. D. Childs 22 0.66
Turnout 3,334

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e Goodspeed, Weston A. (February 6, 2017). The History of Cook County, Illinois. Jazzybee Verlag.
  2. ^ "Chicago Mayors, 1837-2007". www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  3. ^ "RaceID=486028". Our Campaigns. Retrieved December 11, 2018.