| Election Name: | Chicago mayoral election, 1851 |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Year: | 1850 |
| Next Year: | 1852 |
| Candidate1: | Walter S. Gurnee |
| Party1: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote1: | 3,032 |
| Percentage1: | 56.66% |
| Candidate2: | Eli B. Williams |
| Popular Vote2: | 1,092 |
| Percentage2: | 20.41% |
| Mayor | |
| Before Election: | James Curtiss |
| Before Party: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| After Election: | Walter S. Gurnee |
| After Party: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Image3: | File:Jamescurtis (1).jpeg |
| Candidate3: | James Curtiss |
| Party3: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote3: | 1,001 |
| Percentage3: | 18.71% |
In the 1851 Chicago mayoral election, Walter S. Gurnee defeated incumbent mayor James Curtiss as well as Eli B. Williams and Edward K. Rogers by a landslide 36.25% margin.
The Whig Party decided against nominating a ticket in the 1851 Chicago municipal elections.
Gurnee defeated incumbent Democrat James Curtiss as well as Eli B. Williams and Edward K. Rogers.[1]
Owing to a large number of the city's residents not being in compliance with new election laws, an unprecedented number of prospective voters were refused tickets.
Gurnee received a plurality of votes from all major political parties. It is believed that his vote total from Whigs was as great as his vote total from Democrats. Many political analysts treated the election (which unseated incumbent Democrat James Curtiss) as a "Whig Party victory".