Peter J. Somers (April 12, 1850 – February 15, 1924) was an

Irish-American , image = Irish ancestry in the USA 2018; Where Irish eyes are Smiling.png , image_caption = Irish Americans, % of population by state , caption = Notable Irish Americans , population = 36,115,472 (10.9%) alone ...

mayor of

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at th ...

and member of the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

Biography

Somers was born in

Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin Menomonee Falls is a village in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States, and is part of the Greater Milwaukee area. The population was 35,626 at the 2010 census, making it the most populous village in Wisconsin. It is the fourth largest communi ...

on April 12, 1850. He grew up in the state of Wisconsin. He became a lawyer and moved to Milwaukee, where he soon became involved in politics. Somers served as city attorney for Milwaukee. In 1890, he was elected to the Milwaukee Common Council and served as president of the Milwaukee Common Council. He served as mayor of Milwaukee from December 6, 1890, to June 5, 1893, when he resigned, having won an election to fill a vacancy in the

caused by the resignation of John L. Mitchell who was elected to the

U.S. Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

. Somers took over as the representative of

Wisconsin's 4th congressional district Wisconsin's 4th congressional district is a congressional district of the United States House of Representatives in Wisconsin, encompassing a part of Milwaukee County and including almost all of the city of Milwaukee (except the slivers of the ...

in the

53rd United States Congress The 53rd United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1893 ...

. Somers, a lifelong member of the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

, was not renominated for a full term in 1894, and left Congress when his term expired in 1895. He is to date the last mayor of Milwaukee elected to higher office. He continued practicing law in Milwaukee until 1905, when he moved to

Reno, Nevada Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada-California border, about north from Lake Tahoe, known as "The Biggest Little City in the World". Known for its casino and tourism industry, Reno is the ...

. He became a lawyer, judge for

Esmeralda County, Nevada Esmeralda County is a County (United States), county in the southwestern portion of the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 729, making it the least populous county in Nevada. Esmeralda Coun ...

, and served for a time as chairman of the Nevada Democratic State Central Committee. He died at his home in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

on February 15, 1924. Somers was buried at Calvary Cemetery in Los Angeles.

References

External links

* Nevada state court judges Milwaukee Common Council members Mayors of Milwaukee American people of Irish descent People from Esmeralda County, Nevada 1850 births 1924 deaths Nevada Democrats People from Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Wisconsin Politicians from Reno, Nevada Burials at Calvary Cemetery (Los Angeles) {{Nevada-politician-stub