1870 Boston mayoral election

The Boston mayoral election of 1870 saw the election of Democratic Party nominee William Gaston over Republican Party nominee George O. Carpenter.

1870 Boston mayoral election
← 1869 December 12, 1870[1] 1871 →
 
Candidate William Gaston George O. Carpenter
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 13,054 4,790
Percentage 70.80% 25.98%

Mayor before election

Nathaniel B. Shurtleff
Democratic

Elected Mayor

William Gaston
Democratic

Nominees edit

At the end of November, William Gaston (the former mayor of Roxbury, Massachusetts and a former Democratic state senator) was nominated by a citizen's committee organized by the city's Democratic Party organization.[2][3] Gaston had, the month prior, unsuccessfully ran for United States Congress as a Democratic nominee in Massachusetts's third congressional district.[2][4]

George O. Carpenter (a Boston alderman) was formally made the Republican nominee at a citizens meeting held at Faneuil Hall on December 7.[5][3]

Ahead of the election, the Boston Evening Transcript and others regarded Gaston to be the front-runner[4][2] Many Republicans organized in citizens committees that instead backed the candidacy of Gaston. Carpenter suffered from a public image that associated him with political corruption during his time as an alderman. Meanwhile, Gaston's past tenure as mayor of Roxbury was well-regarded.[3]

Results edit

1870 Boston mayoral election[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic William Gaston 10,836 57.64
Republican George O. Carpenter 7,836 41.68
Others Scattering 127 0.68
Turnout 18,799

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b A Catalogue of the City Councils of Boston, 1822-1908, Roxbury, 1846-1867, Charlestown, 1847-1873 and of the Selectmen of Boston, 1634-1822: Also of Various Other Town and Municipal Officers. City of Boston Printing Department. 1909. pp. 54, 259. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c "Evening Transcript". Boston Evening Transcript. November 30, 1870 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ a b c "Boston Municipal Election". New York Herald. December 13, 1870. Retrieved April 29, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ a b "Boston Correspondence". Hartford Courant. December 10, 1870. Retrieved April 29, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Carpenter Meeting at Faneuil Hall". Boston Daily Evening Transcript. December 8, 1870. Retrieved April 29, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.