1839 Philadelphia mayoral election

1839 Philadelphia mayoral election
← 1838
1840 →
 
Nominee John Swift John K. Kane John C. Montgomery
General election vote 3,343 3,294 2,670
General election percentage 35.92% 35.39% 28.69%
City Council vote 26 0
City Council percentage 100% 0.00%

Mayor before election

Isaac Roach

Elected mayor

John Swift
Whig

The 1839 Philadelphia mayoral election saw John Swift return to office for a seventh overall non-consecutive term.[1]

This was the first Philadelphia mayoral election in which members of the general public were able to vote.[1] Prior to this, the City Council solely elected mayors of Philadelphia.[1] Beginning in 1839, the city began to operate under a mixed electoral system. Citizens voted for mayor in a general election. If a candidate received a majority of the vote, they would be elected mayor. However, if no candidate received a majority, the City Council would select a mayor from the top-two finishers.[1]

  1. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference city1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).