In the 1857 Chicago mayoral election, Republican John Wentworth defeated Democrat Benjamin F. Carver by a ten-point margin. The election was held on March 3.

Background

The Democratic Party were coming off of the success of their presidential ticket in November 1856 (both nationally, as well as in Illinois). At a celebratory bonfire held across from the Tremont House,

Stephen A. Douglas Stephen Arnold Douglas (April 23, 1813 – June 3, 1861) was an American politician and lawyer from Illinois. A senator, he was one of two nominees of the badly split Democratic Party for president in the 1860 presidential election, which wa ...

delivered a speech predicting a Democratic victory in the coming municipal elections, declaring "Chicago will yet redeem herself, she will do so at the next election, and after that she will be right at every election."A History of Chicago, Volume II: From Town to City 1848-1871 by Bessie Louise Pierce

Election

Both the Republican Party and Democratic Party held nominating conventions on February 28. Republicans nominated congressman John Wentworth for mayor (who had previously served several terms as a Democratic congressman). Former congressman (and future president)

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

delivered an impassioned speech at the Republican convention on behalf of its ticket. Democrats nominated Benjamin F. Carver, cashier of the Marine Bank and the Chicago Marine and Fire Insurance Company and a relative unknown when compared to political the heavyweight Wentworth. The results of the Democratic convention were not made public until March 2, one day before the election. Wentworth's platform aroused some anti-Irish and anti-Catholic sentiments.Chicag
History
/ref> Wentworth had well-established support for abolitionist policies.History of Chicago. From the earliest period to the present time
/ref> Election day was chaotic, with many instances of violence arising across the city. Wentworth ultimately won by a wide margin and demonstrated a possible

coattail effect The coattail effect or down-ballot effect is the tendency for a popular political party leader to attract votes for other candidates of the same party in an election. For example, in the United States, the party of a victorious presidential cand ...

, with his Republican ticket sweeping the city's other municipal elections as well.

Results

References

1857 Events January–March * January 1 – The biggest Estonian newspaper, ''Postimees'', is established by Johann Voldemar Jannsen. * January 7 – The partly French-owned London General Omnibus Company begins operating. * Janua ...

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

1857 Illinois elections 1850s in Chicago {{Illinois elections