1959 Boston mayoral election explained

Election Name:1959 Boston mayoral election
Country:Boston
Type:Presidential
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:1955 Boston mayoral election
Previous Year:1955
Election Date:November 3, 1959
Next Election:1963 Boston mayoral election
Next Year:1963
Image1:John F. Collins (13563351044) a.jpg
Candidate1:John F. Collins
Party1:Nonpartisan candidate
Popular Vote1:114,210
Percentage1:55.89%
Mayor
Before Election:John B. Hynes
After Election:John F. Collins
Candidate2:John E. Powers
Party2:Nonpartisan candidate
Popular Vote2:90,142
Percentage2:44.11%
Map Size:260px

The Boston mayoral election of 1959 occurred on Tuesday, November 3, 1959, between former Boston City Council member John Frederick Collins and President of the Massachusetts Senate John E. Powers. Collins was elected to his first term, and was inaugurated on Monday, January 4, 1960.[1]

The nonpartisan municipal preliminary election was held on Tuesday, September 22, 1959.

Collins' victory was considered the biggest upset in city politics in decades.[2] Boston University political scientist Murray Levin wrote a book on the race, titled The Alienated Voter: Politics in Boston, which attributed Collins' victory to the voters' cynicism and resentment of the city's political elite.[3] Collins had been widely viewed as the underdog in the race[4] and Powers had been regarded as the front-runner, making Collins' victory a political surprise.[5] Collins had run on the slogan "stop power politics", and was widely seen as independent of any political machine.[4] [6]

Candidates

Candidates eliminated in preliminary

Results

CandidatesPreliminary Election[7] General Election[8]
Votes%Votes%
John F. Collins28,489 21.87114,21055.89
John E. Powers44,07933.8490,14244.11
Gabriel F. Piemonte25,85019.85
James W. Hennigan, Jr.19,74215.16
John P. McMorrow12,100 9.29

See also

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Collins Will Take Oath Today . . 1 . January 4, 1960 . March 17, 2018 . limited . pqarchiver.com .
  2. News: Lupo. Alan. The Collins legacy: A changed Boston. The Boston Globe. 3 December 1995. 12.
  3. Tinder. Glenn. Reviews. The Review of Politics. January 1961. 23. 1. 100. 10.1017/s0034670500007774 . 163621125 .
  4. O'Connor, T.H. (1997). Boston Irish: A Political History. New York: Back Bay Books.
  5. Web site: Girard . Christopher . Mary P. Cunniff Collins, 90, provided support to husband as Boston mayor . Boston.com . The Boston Globe . 30 October 2022 . 7 November 2010.
  6. News: Nolan. Martin. Ex-Mayor Collins dead at 76 Fought to restore city's pride, image. The Boston Globe. 24 November 1995. 1.
  7. Book: Annual Report of the Election Department. 1960. 46. Boston [Election Dept.].
  8. Book: Annual Report of the Election Department. 1960. 110. Boston [Election Dept.].