An election for Mayor of New York City was held between 8–10 April 1834. This was the first popular election for the mayoralty, previous mayors had been appointed by the Common Council of New York.
Democratic nominee Cornelius Lawrence defeated Whig Gulian C. Verplanck.
Rioting As the first election to the mayoralty of New York City, the election was beset with riots. The rioting began on the first day of voting, 8 April 1834, and included the destruction of ballots, with 1 fatality and 20 injured. Whig supporters decorated a frigate, the Constitution, with Whig banners and dragged it up Broadway. On 9 April, Democratic supporters went to destroy a pro-Whig newspaper office on Wall Street. On the final day of the polls being open, 10 April, several gun shops were ransacked by crowds, with order being restored after the mayor called in 1,200 infantry and calvarymen.
General election Candidates Gulian C. Verplanck, former U.S. representative and former member of the New York State Assembly (Whig) Cornelius Lawrence, U.S. representative (Democratic)
Results In the final results, Lawrence defeated Verplanck by 203 votes out of 35,000 cast.
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