1951 Boston mayoral election explained

Election Name:1951 Boston mayoral election
Country:Boston
Type:Presidential
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:1949 Boston mayoral election
Previous Year:1949
Election Date:November 6, 1951
Next Election:1955 Boston mayoral election
Next Year:1955
Image1:John B. Hynes (10926270034) (2).jpg
Candidate1:John B. Hynes
Party1:Nonpartisan candidate
Popular Vote1:154,206
Percentage1:66.88%
Mayor
Before Election:John B. Hynes
After Election:John B. Hynes
Candidate2:James Michael Curley
Party2:Nonpartisan candidate
Popular Vote2:76,354
Percentage2:33.12%

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.

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' previous term was only two years in duration.

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

Candidates

Candidates eliminated in preliminary

Results

CandidatesPreliminary Election[4] General Election[5]
Votes%Votes%
John B. Hynes (incumbent)108,41453.41154,20666.88
James Michael Curley77,26838.0776,35433.12
Joseph F. Timilty15,8907.83
Thomas J. O'Brien1,4060.69

General election results by ward

Ward! colspan="2"
HynesCurley
Votes%Votes%
16,43656.195,01743.81
23,25149.303,34350.70
36,22860.594,05139.41
46,14773.412,22626.59
58,36680.662,00619.34
64,88251.274,64148.73
76,63457.184,96742.82
83,31945.363,99954.64
94,13354.813,40845.19
104,97051.674,64948.33
114,76654.893,91745.11
127,06173.582,53626.42
135,51161.273,48338.73
1410,98380.572,64819.43
155,41162.263,28037.74
168,82172.553,33827.45
178,82475.412,87824.59
1811,06072.954,10127.05
197,42868.083,48331.92
2012,52880.543,02719.46
219,79780.842,32219.16
227,65071.603,03428.40

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: Plan A Wins; Boston to Get New Charter . . 1 . November 9, 1949 . March 2, 2018 . limited . pqarchiver.com .
  2. News: Hynes and Score of Other Mayors Take Oath Today . . 1 . January 7, 1952 . March 16, 2018 . limited . pqarchiver.com.
  3. News: Dark Horse May Enter Boston's Mayoralty Race . Lewis . William . . 1 . August 23, 1951 . March 3, 2018 . limited . pqarchiver.com.
  4. Book: Annual Report of the Election Department. 1952. 44. Boston [Election Dept.].
  5. Book: Annual Report of the Election Department. 192. 136. Boston [Election Dept.].