1929 New York City mayoral election

The 1929 New York City mayoral election was held on November 5 in concert with other municipal elections. Democratic incumbent Jimmy Walker defeated Republican challenger Fiorello H. La Guardia in what was considered "a Crushing Defeat to [the] City G.O.P. [delivered]" by Tammany Hall.[1] Socialist candidate Norman Thomas also ran, as did Socialist Labor candidate Olive M. Johnson and former Police Commissioner Richard Edward Enright for the Square Deal Party.

1929 New York City mayoral election

November 5, 1929

Nominee Jimmy Walker Fiorello H. La Guardia Norman Thomas Party Democratic Republican Socialist Popular vote 867,522 367,675 175,697 Percentage 60.70% 25.73% 12.29%

Results by Assembly district Walker:      40-50%      50-60%      60-70%      70-80%      80-90%

Mayor before election Jimmy Walker Democratic Elected Mayor Jimmy Walker Democratic

Republican primary

Candidates

• Fiorello LaGuardia, U.S. Representative from East Harlem
• William M. Bennett, former State Senator from Manhattan and perennial candidate

Results

1929 Republican mayoral primary[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Fiorello LaGuardia	62,894	78.62%
	Republican	William M. Bennett	17,100	21.38%
Total votes			79,994	100.00%

General election

Results

Walker won with a plurality of 497,165 votes, which had been the largest ever recorded for a mayoral candidate up to that time,[1] and won the absolute majority of votes in all five boroughs. The results were part of a larger Democratic landslide in which Democrats won the position of President of the Board of Aldermen, Comptroller, all positions in Brooklyn, and all Borough Presidencies except Queens, and gained 2 seats in the Assembly and 3 in the Board of Aldermen from Republicans.[1] Thomas's results were the highest recorded by the Socialist party to that date.[1]

1929 mayoral election[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Jimmy Walker (inc.)	867,522	60.70%
	Republican	Fiorello LaGuardia	367,675	25.73%
	Socialist	Norman Thomas	175,697	12.29%
	Socialist Labor	Olive M. Johnson	6,401	0.45%
	Communist	William Weinstone	5,805	0.41%
	Square Deal	Richard Enright	5,695	0.40%
	Commonwealth Land	Lawrence W. Tracy	320	0.02%
Total votes			1,429,115	100.00%

Aftermath

Despite his success, Walker would be embroiled in scandal in 1932 and forced to resign.[4]

References

1. "497,165 plurality hailed by Walker as a vindication". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. 89 (308). November 6, 1929. p. 1. Retrieved January 24, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
2. https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=141650
3. https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=79429
4. Emery, Frank (September 2, 1932). "Rose to Power On Chessboard of Tiger Chiefs". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. 91 (244). p. 6. Retrieved January 24, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.