1914 Boston mayoral election

1914 Boston mayoral election

← 1910 January 13, 1914 1917 →
 
Candidate James Michael Curley Thomas J. Kenny
Party Nonpartisan Nonpartisan
Popular vote 43,262 37,522
Percentage 53.5% 46.4%

Mayor before election

John F. Fitzgerald

Elected mayor

James Michael Curley

The Boston mayoral election of 1914 occurred on Tuesday, January 13, 1914. James Michael Curley, member of the United States House of Representatives, was elected Mayor of Boston for the first time, defeating Thomas J. Kenny, president of the Boston City Council.[1]

Incumbent mayor John F. Fitzgerald withdrew in December,[2] citing illness; in actuality, Curley and attorney Daniel H. Coakley forced Fitzgerald from the race after learning of his indiscretions with a cigarette girl, Elizabeth "Toodles" Ryan.[3]

Curley was inaugurated as mayor on Monday, February 2,[4] and intended to continue also serving in Congress. However, on February 25, after political pressure mounted to unseat him, Curley announced his resignation from Congress, retroactive to February 4.[5]

This was the last January-scheduled general election for Mayor of Boston; the next mayoral election was held in December 1917.

  1. ^ "Curley New Mayor of Boston". The Baltimore Sun. January 14, 1914. Retrieved March 15, 2018 – via newspapers.com.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference fitzout was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cunningham, Maurice (June 2, 2015). "Boston's Own Dapper Dan: America's Most Corrupt Politician". WGBH. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
  4. ^ "Curley Serves Two Masters". The Barre Daily Times. Barre, Vermont. February 2, 1914. Retrieved March 15, 2018 – via newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Mayor Out of Congress". The Herald-Palladium. St. Joseph, Michigan. February 25, 1914. Retrieved March 15, 2018 – via newspapers.com.