The 1909 election for Mayor of Los Angeles took place on November 9, 1909, with a run-off election on December 7, 1909. Incumbent George Alexander was re-elected over

George A. Smith George Albert Smith (June 26, 1817 – September 1, 1875) was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement. He served in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and as a member of the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day ...

in the runoff election. Municipal elections in California, including Mayor of Los Angeles, are officially nonpartisan; candidates' party affiliations do not appear on the ballot.

Election

Incumbent George Alexander won the

March 1909 Los Angeles mayoral election The 1909 election for Mayor of Los Angeles took place on March 26, 1909, following the recall of incumbent Arthur Cyprian Harper. George Alexander was elected over Fred C. Wheeler by a small plurality. It was the first election "ever held in a ...

to finish

Arthur C. Harper Arthur Cyprian Harper (1866–1948) was the 26th Mayor of Los Angeles, California, from December 13, 1906, to March 11, 1909. He was forced to resign in the wake of a recall drive due to dishonesty that marked his administration. While may ...

's term, and was now seeking a full term. He was challenged by

, a fellow Republican and former Councilman,

William C. Mushet William Cresswell Mushet (December 22, 1860 – September 18, 1927) was an American politician who was a member of the Los Angeles City Council 1921 to 1925 and was the Los Angeles City Auditor from 1906 to 1909. He was twice an unsuccessful cand ...

, an Independent who was the

Los Angeles City Auditor The Los Angeles City Controller is an official in the government of the city of Los Angeles, California. The City Controller is the paymaster and chief accounting officer of the city. Along with the Mayor and the City Attorney, the City Controller ...

, and

Oscar Eugene Farish Oscar Eugene Farish (1868–1917) was an oil man and businessman in Los Angeles, California, at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. He was a member of the Los Angeles City Council. Personal Farish was born on July 20, 1868, near Pittsbor ...

, a Democrat and former Councilman. In the primary, Smith and Mushet were close in totals to be included on the ballot for the runoff election, and some Mushet supporters floated the idea of Smith withdrawing to allow Mushet on the ballot. In the results, Smith had a lead by a small margin, placing him on the ballot. After the results of the primary were released, Mushet sued for a recount, alleging misconduct in every precinct. A month later, he stated that he had "failed to gain a place on the ballot partly because of a defect in the primary election law." In the general election, Alexander defeated Smith with a majority vote."Official Returns," ''Los Angeles Herald,'' December 9, 1909
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Results

Primary election

General election

References and footnotes

External links

Office of the City Clerk, City of Los Angeles
{{DEFAULTSORT:1909 11 Los Angeles mayoral election 1909 November 1909 California elections Los Angeles 1900s in Los Angeles