1949 Boston mayoral election
The Boston mayoral election of 1949 occurred on Tuesday, November 8, 1949, between incumbent Mayor of Boston James Michael Curley , city clerk and former acting mayor John B. Hynes , and three other candidates. Hynes was elected to his first term.
Boston voters also approved changing the structure of future mayoral contests to include a preliminary election , to select two final candidates in advance of each general election .[ 1] It also shifted the years in which elections would be held. The first such election was set for 1951, meaning that Hynes would only serve a two-year term, rather than a four-year term.[ 1]
Hynes was inaugurated on Monday, January 2, 1950.[ 2]
James Michael Curley , Mayor of Boston from 1914 to 1918, 1922 to 1926, 1930 to 1934, and since 1946. Member of the United States House of Representatives from 1913 to 1914 and from 1943 to 1947. Governor of Massachusetts from 1935 to 1937. Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1902 to 1903. John B. Hynes , Boston City Clerk since 1946, Acting Mayor in 1947. Patrick J. McDonough , Member of the Massachusetts Governor's Council since 1947, member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1941 to 1947. Walter A. O'Brien , Progressive Party politician. Commissioned M.T.A. as a campaign song. George F. Oakes, real estate businessman and former chairman of the Plan E for Boston Committee. Ward[ 3] Hynes Curley McDonough Oakes O'Brien Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes % 1 4,655 29.08 9,311 58.16 1,619 10.11 272 1.70 153 0.96 2 2,518 27.76 5,739 63.26 636 7.01 117 1.29 62 0.68 3 4,489 30.87 8,486 58.36 1,059 7.28 258 1.77 249 1.71 4 5,695 54.21 3,888 37.01 364 3.46 376 3.58 183 1.74 5 8,980 67.58 3,307 24.89 389 2.93 401 3.02 211 1.59 6 2,442 24.90 5,487 55.94 1,663 16.96 162 1.65 54 0.55 7 4,383 31.56 6,889 48.97 2,499 17.76 203 1.44 94 0.67 8 2,670 28.22 6,091 64.37 482 5.09 146 1.54 73 0.77 9 2,827 27.32 6,517 62.98 596 5.76 256 2.47 152 1.47 10 4,553 36.34 7,124 56.86 527 4.21 269 2.15 57 0.45 11 4,532 39.23 5,953 51.54 593 5.13 358 3.10 115 1.00 12 6,319 48.31 5,081 38.85 861 6.58 318 2.43 501 3.83 13 4,978 43.20 5,206 45.18 1,091 9.47 189 1.64 58 0.50 14 10,038 53.84 6,071 32.56 1,536 8.24 238 1.28 762 4.09 15 4,953 42.14 5,317 45.23 1,233 10.49 206 1.75 46 0.39 16 8,556 54.17 5,327 33.72 1,558 9.86 277 1.75 79 0.50 17 8,882 58.56 4,861 32.05 1,016 6.70 301 1.98 108 0.71 18 9,776 54.06 5,901 32.63 1,306 7.22 993 5.49 107 0.59 19 7,492 54.50 5,215 37.93 488 3.55 498 3.62 55 0.40 20 12,016 65.41 4,947 26.93 671 3.65 566 3.08 171 0.93 21 10,037 63.51 4,524 28.62 564 3.57 431 2.73 249 1.58 22 7,139 51.24 4,758 34.15 1,399 10.04 336 2.41 120 0.86