The 1851 Boston mayoral election saw the election of Benjamin Seaver, a former president of the Boston Common Council, as mayor of Boston. The election took three votes, as no candidate secured the needed majority in the first two attempts. In the third attempt, Seaver won the required majority by the margin of a single vote. Incumbent Whig mayor John P. Bigelow was not a nominee for reelection.
First vote (December 8, 1851) Candidates Jerome V. C. Smith ("Native American Party" –Know Nothing), physician John H. Wilkins (Whig) George F. Williams (Free Soil Party) Adam Wallace Thaxter Jr. (Democratic Party), merchant and Democratic for mayor in the first vote of the 1844 election
Result
Second vote (December 17, 1851) Candidates Benjamin Seaver (Whig), former president of the Boston Common Council Jerome V. C. Smith, physician John H. Wilkins George F. Williams Henry B. Rogers Adam Wallace Thaxter Jr., merchant and candidate for mayor in 1844
Result
Third vote (December 24, 1851) Candidates Benjamin Seaver (Whig), former president of the Boston Common Council Jerome V. C. Smith, physician Henry B. Rogers Adam Wallace Thaxter Jr., merchant and candidate for mayor in 1844
Result
Summary table of all votes + 1851 Boston mayoral election results Vote round Whig Party Democratic Party Know Nothing Party Free Soil Party Other candidate Scattering Nominee % Nominee % Nominee % Nominee % Candidate % % 1st John H. Wilkins 45.13 Adam W. Thaxter Jr 21.95 Jerome V. C. Smith 27.26 George F. Williams 4.85 colspan=2 0.83 2nd Benjamin Seaver 47.31 15.37 31.94 2.91 Henry B. Rogers 1.88 0.60 3rd 50.05 12.84 34.32 colspan=2 2.36 0.48
See also List of mayors of Boston, Massachusetts
References