1921 Pittsburgh mayoral election
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The 1921 Pittsburgh mayoral election was held on Tuesday, November 8, 1921. Republican nominee William A. Magee was elected by a large margin over Democratic candidate William N. McNair.
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November 8, 1921
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Background
The 1921 election was the last election under a law that prohibited mayors of Pittsburgh from serving consecutive terms. This law precluded incumbent mayor Edward V. Babcock from running for re-election.[1]
The nonpartisan election law governing the previous two mayoral elections was repealed, bringing an end to the nonpartisan blanket primary and a return to the party system.[1]
Republican primary
Former mayor William A. Magee, who had run for a non-consecutive second term in 1917 but lost to Babcock, ran yet again and won the Republican nomination over Joseph N. Mackrell. Magee's victory was aided by a truce in an ongoing feud with Republican boss and "Maker of Mayors" Max Leslie.[1]
General election
In the November general election, Magee easily defeated Democratic candidate William N. McNair.[1] McNair would be elected mayor twelve years later, ushering in an era of Democratic dominance in city politics.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | William A. Magee | 77,367 | 67.9 | |
| Democratic | William N. McNair* | 34,492 | 30.3 | |
| Socialist | William J. Van Essen | 2,034 | 1.8 | |
| Industrialist | George W. Ohls | 73 | 0.1 | |
| Total votes | 113,966 | 100.0 | ||
*McNair was also the nominee of the Prohibition and "Lincoln" parties.