The 1871 Chicago aldermanic election was held on November 7, 1871, to elect half of the membership of the Chicago Common Council (city council). The election was held only one month after the Great Chicago Fire. Due to the exceptional challenges that city was facing as a result of the fire, a unity ticket dubbed "Union–Fireproof" was nominated by the party committees of the county Democratic and Republican parties for the November 1871 Chicago and Cook County elections. The main opposition to this ticket was a second unity ticket dubbed People's", which was nominated by "sorehead" members of the county Democratic and Republican parties.

The election resulted in a landslide victory for Union–Fireproof ticket, which won 14 seats. The People's ticket won only 5 seats, while a single seat was won by an independent candidate.

Background

Half of the seats on the Chicago Common Council (today known as a "Chicago City Council") were up for election in the 1871 election. At the time, each ward had two seats, which were elected for two-year terms (with the two seats in each ward having their elections scheduled manner that allowed for a council election each year in every ward).

Due to the exceptional circumstances of the election, taking place the month following the Great Chicago Fire, the central committees of the county's Republican and Democratic parties formed a joint "Union–Fireproof" unity ticket for the city and county elections. The agreement to form a joint ticket had been spearheaded by a group of Chicago businessmen and civic leaders, led by Carter Harrison III. The ticket was a liberal and government reform-supporting one. Joseph Medill was drafted to run as its nominee in the mayoral election.The Mayors: the Chicago political tradition by Paul Michael Green; Southern Illinois University Press, Dec 1, 1995

After the "Union–Fireproof" ticket was jointly by each major party's central committees, so-called "sorehead" members of both parties (who were non-supportive of the ticket that was formed) still convened the party's nominating conventions out of which they together jointly selected nominees for the so-called "People's Ticket" that was fielded to run in opposition to the Union–Fireproof ticket in city and county elections.

Results Among those elected to the council was Lester L. Bond, a former alderman who at the time of the election was filling the duties of mayor on an acting basis. Monroe Heath (a future mayor) was among the newly elected aldermen. Also among the newly elected aldermen was Edward Cullerton, who would go on to serve a significant decades-long tenure on the council (beginning a Cullerton family political dynasty that extended into the 21st century).

Seven of the elected aldermen were members of the Democratic Party, providing the Democrats with an increased representation on the council. However, Republicans still held two-thirds of council seats.

+ Chicago Common Council resultsWard Union–Fireproof nominee People's ticket nominee Other candidates Total votes Alderman before Elected alderman Name Party Vote total Vote % Name Party Vote total Vote % Name Party Vote total Vote % 1st Chauncey T. Bowen 643 90.95 Jacob Becker 64 9.05 colspan=4 707 Richard Sommers Chauncey T. Bowen (Republican/Fireproof) 2nd Arthur Dixon (incumbent) Republican 990 100 colspan=4 colspan=4 990 Arthur Dixon (Republican/Fireproof)incumbent re-elected 3rd John W. McGinniss 1,216 73.74 Joseph A. Montgomery (incumbent) Democratic 188 11.40 A. B. Sheldon 245 14.86 1,649 Joseph A. Montgomery (Democratic/People's) John W. McGenniss (Fireproof) 4th John H. McAvoy (incumbent) 1,489 97.64 Moses A. Thayer 36 2.36 colspan=4 1,525 John H. McAvoy (Fireproof)incumbent re-elected 5th R. B. Stone 563 66.00 Moore Conger 290 34.00 colspan=4 853 George S. Whitaker R. B. Stone (Fireproof) 6th Phillip Ready 678 49.34 William Tracy 696 50.66 colspan=4 1,374 David Walsh William Tracy (People's) 7th William Raleigh 344 32.61 Edward Cullerton Democratic 415 39.34 Patrick McClowry 296 28.06 1,055 William Batterman Edward Cullerton (Democratic/People's) 8th Jeremiah Clowry 702 53.67 Philip Moser 271 20.72 W. S. Powell 335 25.61 1,308 William S. Powell Jeremiah Clowry (Fireproof) 9th James McMullen 680 33.63 George Powell (incumbent) 792 39.17 Patrick Rafferty 550 27.20 2,022 George Powell (People's)incumbent re-elected 10th Lester L. Bond Republican 891 68.33 Alonzo Snider 413 31.67 colspan=4 1,304 Thomas Wilco Lester L. Bond (Republican/Fireproof) 11th Henry Sweet 530 41.28 James Walsh (incumbent) 470 36.60 C.F. Periolat 284 22.12 1,284 James Walsh (People's) Henry Sweet (Fireproof) 12th Monroe Heath Republican 1,250 100 colspan=8 1,250 Samuel McCotter Monroe Heath (Republican/Fireproof) 13th George W. Sherwood 663 53.21 James L. Campbell (incumbent) Republican 583 46.79 colspan=4 1,246 James L. Campbell (Republican/People's) George W. Sherwood (Fireproof) 14th S. Ezra Cleveland 618 72.45 Jane Pyne 126 14.77 Thomas McNamara 109 12.78 853 P.B. Shiel S. Ezra Cleveland (Fireproof) 15th J. Vant Woud 543 35.87 James J. McGrath (incumbent) 971 64.13 colspan=4 1,514 James J. McGrath (People's)incumbent re-elected 16th Thomas A. Stout 559 68.42 Brice A. Miller 258 31.58 colspan=4 817 David A. Walsh Thomas A. Stout (Fireproof) 17th George Adolph Misch 64 12.60 rowspan=2 colspan=4 Jacob Lengacher 365 71.85 508 Jacob Lengacher A.D. Skinner 79 15.55 18th Owen McCarthy 190 24.27 Thomas Carney (incumbent) 593 75.73 colspan=4 783 Thomas Carney (People's)incumbent re-elected 19th Mahlon D. Ogden 310 87.32 James McCauley (incumbent) 45 12.68 colspan=4 355 James McCauley Mahlon D. Ogden (Fireproof) 20th Charles L. Woodman 515 84.29 Philip A. Hoyne 44 7.20 Thomas D. Reilly 52 8.51 611 M.A. Devine Totals Union–Fireproof total(14 seats won) 13,438 61.06 People's ticket total(5 seats won) 6,255 28.42 Other candidates total(1 seat won) 2,315 10.52 22,008

References