1853–54 Boston mayoral election

Election in Massachusetts, United States January 2025 September 2023 1853–1854 Boston mayoral election Presidential no 1852 Boston mayoral election 1852 Dec. 12, 1853 (1st vote)Dec. 27, 1853 (2nd vote)Jan. 9, 1854 (3rd vote) December 1854 Boston mayoral election December 1854 Mayor Benjamin Seaver Whig Party (United States) Jerome V. C. Smith First vote Second vote Third vote Jerome V. C. Smith by E. Billings 5210004 015 014 (3x4a).jpg Jerome V. C. Smith Citizens Union Party C0C0C0 4,69035.97% 6,07749.94% 6,84056.59% File:Benjamin Seaver 5210004 015 013 (3x4).jpg Benjamin Seaver Whig Party (United States) 5,651 43.34% Did not contest Did not contest File:John P. Bigelow 5210004 015 012 (3x4).jpg John P. Bigelow Whig Party (United States) Did not contest 4,48936.89% Did not contest John H. Wilkins Whig Party (United States) Did not contest Did not contest 3,17126.23% Jacob Sleeper C0C0C0 Young Men's League 2,09716.08% 775 6.37% Did not contest James Whiting C0C0C0 Bay State Club and Liquor Union Did not contest Did not contest 1,73014.31% Aaron Hobart Democratic Party (United States) Did not contest 7486.15% 2822.33% Boston The Boston mayoral election of 1853–1854 saw the election of Citizens Union Party nominee Jerome V. C. Smith. The election took three votes, as no candidate secured the needed majority in the first two attempts. Incumbent Whig mayor Benjamin Seaver had run for reelection as his party's nominee in the first vote, but opted not to compete in the second or third votes. It was the sixth and final Boston mayoral election to require multiple general election attempts before a winner could be determined. The previous elections where this had occurred were the 1822, 1828, 1831, 1844–45, and 1851 mayoral elections. First vote (December 12, 1853) Candidates Frederick H. Allen Benjamin Seaver (Whig Party), incumbent mayorNominations for Mayor https://www.newspapers.com/image/404595567 subscription Newspapers.com New England Farmer 7 April 2023 en December 3, 1853 Jacob Sleeper (Young Men's League), member of the Boston Board of Aldermen Jerome V. C. Smith, physician and candidate for mayor in 1851 and 1852 Result Boston mayoral election first vote (December 12, 1853) Whig Party (United States) Benjamin Seaver (incumbent) 5,651 43.34% Jerome V. C. Smith 4690 35.97% Young Men's League Jacob Sleeper 2,097 16.08% Frederick H. Allen 596 4.57% Scattering Other 5 0.03% 13,039 100 Second vote (December 27, 1853) After he failed to win a majority in the first vote, Mayor Seaver refused to again run in the second vote. After this, the city's Whig Party committee nominated former mayor Josiah Quincy III, who declined. They then nominated Thomas Coffin Amory, who also declined. They then nominated former mayor John P. Bigelow. The Democratic Party nominated Aaron Hobart.The City Election https://www.newspapers.com/image/404595743 Newspapers.com New England Farmer 7 April 2023 en December 24, 1853 As with the first vote, no winner was elected as no candidate won a majority share of the vote. Jerome V. C. Smith fell short of a majority by a mere nine votes.Municipal Affairs https://www.newspapers.com/image/34589076 subscription Newspapers.com The Liberator 7 April 2023 en December 30, 1853 Candidates Aaron Hobart (Democratic) Jacob Sleeper Jerome V. C. Smith, physician and candidate for mayor in 1851 and 1852 John P. Bigelow (Whig), former mayor Result Boston mayoral election second vote (December 27, 1854) Jerome V. C. Smith 6,077 49.94% Whig Party (United States) John P. Bigelow 4,489 36.89% Jacob Sleeper 775 6.37% Democratic Party (United States) Aaron Hobart 748 6.15% Scattering Other 79 6.49% 12,168 100 Third vote (January 9, 1854) Citizens Union Party nominee Jerome V. C. Smith was elected after winning a majority in the third vote. In the third vote, John H. Wilkins replaced Bigelow as the Whig Party's nominee. Candidates Aaron Hobart (Democratic), probate judge and former U.S. congressman Jerome V. C. Smith (Citizens Union Party),Election of a Mayor https://www.newspapers.com/image/404595868 subscription Newspapers.com New England Farmer 7 April 2023 en January 14, 1854 physician and candidate for mayor in 1851 and 1852 James Whiting (Bay State Club and Liquor Union) John H. Wilkins (Whig) Result Boston mayoral election third vote (January 9, 1854)A Catalogue of the City Councils of Boston, 1822-1908, Roxbury, 1846-1867, Charlestown, 1847-1873 and of the Selectmen of Boston, 1634-1822: Also of Various Other Town and Municipal Officers 1909 City of Boston Printing Department 52 https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=n_BMAAAAMAAJ&pg=GBS.PA52 7 April 2023 en Citizens Union Party Jerome V. C. Smith 6,840 56.59% Whig Party (United States) John H. Wilkins 3,171 26.23% Bay State Club and Liquor Union James Whiting 1,730 14.31% Democratic Party (United States) Aaron Hobart 282 2.33% Scattering Other 65 0.54% 12,088 100 Summary table of all votes + 1853–1854 Boston mayoral election results Vote round Whig Party Democratic Party Citizens Union Party Young Men's League Bay State Club and Liquor Union Scattering Nominee % Nominee % Nominee % Nominee % Nominee % % 1st Benjamin Seaver (incumbent) 43.34 colspan=2 Jerome V. C. Smith 35.97 Jacob Sleeper 16.08 rowspan=2 colspan=2 0.03 2nd John P. Bigelow 36.89 Aaron Hobart 6.15 49.94 6.37 6.49 3rd John H. Wilkins 26.23 2.33 56.59 colspan=2 James Whiting 14.31 0.54 See also List of mayors of Boston, Massachusetts References 30em Category:Mayoral elections in Boston Boston Boston mayoral Boston Boston mayoral Category:19th century in Boston Boston mayoral election Boston mayoral election