1850 Boston mayoral election
Election in Massachusetts, United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 1850 Boston mayoral election saw the reelection of incumbent Whig mayor John P. Bigelow to a third consecutive term. It was held on December 9, 1850.[1]
December 9, 1850
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Candidates
- Charles Coffin Amory Sr. (independent Whig), alderman[2]
- John P. Bigelow (Whig),[2] incumbent mayor
- Charles B. Goodrich (Democratic Party),[3] Democratic nominee for mayor in 1846 and 1847
- Benjamin B. Mussey (Free Soil)[3]
Incumbent mayor John P. Bigelow was renominated by the city's Whig Party. However, some leading Boston Whigs did not approve of Bigelow's renomination and instead wanted to field a candidate from the city's West End. At the last-minute ahead of the election, 400 individuals signed nominating papers for Charles Coffin Amory to run as an independent Whig candidate.[2]
Campaign
Backers of Amory's last-minute candidacy of made last-minute accusations against Bigelow, painting him as lacking the "dignity" to hold his office. These accusations were levied so close to the election that there was effectively no time left for Bigelow to retort them. They also accused Bigelow of having designs of seeking the state's governorship in November 1851's gubernatorial election.[2]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whig | John P. Bigelow (incumbent) | 5,473 | 63.45 | |
| Independent Whig | Charles Coffin Amory Sr. | 1,169 | 13.55 | |
| Democratic | Charles B. Goodrich | 1,094 | 12.68 | |
| Free Soil | Benjamin B. Mussey | 822 | 9.53 | |
| Scattering | Other | 68 | 0.08 | |
| Total votes | 8,626 | 100 | ||