1839 Chicago mayoral election explained

Election Name:Chicago mayoral election, 1839
Type:presidential
Ongoing:no
Previous Year:1838
Next Year:1840
Election Date:March 5, 1839
Image1:Benjamin Wright Raymond (2) (3x4a).jpg
Candidate1:Benjamin Wright Raymond
Party1:Whig Party (United States)
Popular Vote1:353
Percentage1:62.48%
Candidate2:James Curtiss
Party2:Democratic Party (United States)
Popular Vote2:212
Percentage2:37.52%
Mayor
Before Election:Buckner Stith Morris
Before Party:Whig Party (United States)
After Election:Benjamin Wright Raymond
After Party:Whig Party (United States)

The 1839 Chicago mayoral election saw Whig nominee Benjamin Wright Raymond defeat Democratic nominee James Curtiss by a landslide 25 point margin.

The election was held on March 5.[1]

Campaign

With the nation enduring a difficult economic recession, many citizens believed that successful merchant Benjamin Raymond would be a wise choice for the city's next mayor. However, Raymond was initially not amenable to the prospect of serving as mayor. When former mayor William B. Ogden attempted to persuade him at his dry goods store to run for mayor, Raymond initially, "leaped over the counter and knocked Mr. Ogden prostrate with a bolt of factory-cloth." However, Raymond was nonetheless eventually persuaded to run for mayor.[2]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Mayor Benjamin Wright Raymond Biography. www.chipublib.org.
  2. https://web.archive.org/web/20150328073135/https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/commentary/ct-things-chicago-mayoral-elections-emanuel-garcia-perspec-0329-jm-20150327-story.html 10 things you might not know about Chicago mayoral elections