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The Political Graveyard: A Database of American History
Mayors and Postmasters of Chicago, Illinois

Mayors of Chicago, 1837-2018 (may be incomplete!)
William B. Ogden 1837-38 Buckner S. Morris 1838-39 Benjamin W. Raymond 1839-40 Alexander Loyd 1840-41 Francis C. Sherman 1841-42 Benjamin W. Raymond 1842-43 Augustus Garrett 1843-44 Alson Sherman 1844 Augustus Garrett 1845-46 John Putnam Chapin 1846-47 James Curtiss 1847-48 James Hutchinson Woodworth 1848-50 James Curtiss 1850-51 Walter S. Gurnee 1851-53 Charles McNeill Gray 1853-54 Isaac Lawrence Milliken 1854-55 Levi Day Boone 1855-56 Thomas Dyer 1856-57 John Wentworth 1857-58 John C. Haines 1858-60 John Wentworth 1860-61 Julian S. Rumsey 1861-62 Francis C. Sherman 1862-65 John B. Rice 1865-69 Roswell B. Mason 1869-71 Joseph Medill 1871-73 Lester L. Bond 1873 Harvey D. Colvin 1873-76 Monroe Heath 1876-79 Carter Henry Harrison 1879-87 John A. Roche 1887-89 DeWitt Clinton Cregier 1889-91 Hempstead Washburne 1891-93 Carter Henry Harrison 1893 George B. Swift 1893 John P. Hopkins 1893-95 George B. Swift 1895-97 Carter H. Harrison 1897-1905 Edward F. Dunne 1905-07 Fred A. Busse 1907-11 Carter H. Harrison 1911-15 William Hale Thompson 1915-23 William E. Dever 1923-27 William Hale Thompson 1927-31 Anton J. Cermak 1931-33 Frank J. Corr 1933 Edward J. Kelly 1933-47 Martin H. Kennelly 1947-55 Richard J. Daley 1955-76 Michael A. Bilandic 1976-79 Jane M. Byrne 1979-83 Harold Washington 1983-87 David D. Orr 1987 Eugene Sawyer 1987-89 Richard M. Daley 1989-2011 Rahm Emanuel 2011-

Events and Candidates (may be incomplete!)

  • 1862 Apr 4: Francis C. Sherman (Dem), elected; Charles C. P. Holden (Rep), defeated.
  • 1865 Apr 4: John B. Rice (Rep), elected; Francis C. Sherman (Dem), defeated.
  • 1871: Charles C. P. Holden (Rep), defeated.
  • 1893 Oct 28: Carter Henry Harrison, died in office.
  • 1897: John M. Harlan, defeated.
  • 1899: John P. Altgeld (Ind), defeated.
  • 1901 Apr 2: Carter H. Harrison (Dem), elected; Elbridge Hanecy (Rep), defeated.
  • 1905: John M. Harlan (Rep), defeated.
  • 1907: Edward F. Dunne, defeated.
  • 1911: Edward F. Dunne, defeated.
  • 1911 Apr 4: Carter H. Harrison (Dem), elected; Charles E. Merriam (Rep), defeated.
  • 1923: Arthur C. Lueder (Rep), defeated.
  • 1931 Feb 24: Anton J. Cermak (Dem), nominated; John B. Devoney (Dem), defeated in primary.
  • 1931 Feb 24: William Hale Thompson (Rep), nominated; John H. Lyle (Rep), defeated in primary; Arthur F. Albert (Rep), defeated in primary; George K. Schmidt (Rep), defeated in primary.
  • 1931 Apr 7: Anton J. Cermak (Dem), elected; William Hale Thompson (Rep), defeated.
  • 1933 Mar 6: Anton J. Cermak, died in office.
  • 1939: Dwight H. Green (Rep), defeated.
  • 1939 Feb 28: Thomas J. Courtney (Dem), defeated in primary.
  • 1943 Feb 23: Edward J. Kelly (Dem), nominated; John S. Boyle (Dem), defeated in primary; Billy Patts (Dem), defeated in primary.
  • 1943 Feb 23: George B. McKibbin (Rep), nominated; Arthur F. Albert (Rep), defeated in primary; John H. Lyle (Rep), defeated in primary.
  • 1943 Apr 6: Edward J. Kelly (Dem), elected; George B. McKibbin (Rep), defeated.
  • 1947 Feb 25: Martin H. Kennelly (Dem), nominated unopposed.
  • 1947 Feb 25: Russell W. Root (Rep), nominated; Walter E. Pacanowski (Rep), defeated in primary; William F. Gailing (Rep), defeated in primary.
  • 1947 Apr 1: Martin H. Kennelly (Dem), elected; Russell W. Root (Rep), defeated.
  • 1951 Apr 3: Martin H. Kennelly (Dem), elected; Robert L. Hunter (Rep), defeated.
  • 1955 Feb 22: Richard J. Daley (Dem), nominated; Martin H. Kennelly (Dem), defeated in primary; Benjamin S. Adamowski (Dem), defeated in primary; Clarence A. Balek (Dem), defeated in primary.
  • 1955 Feb 22: Robert E. Merriam (Rep), nominated; Lar Daly (Rep), defeated in primary; Fred A. Lyon (Rep), defeated in primary.
  • 1955 Apr 5: Richard J. Daley (Dem), elected; Robert E. Merriam (Rep), defeated.
  • 1959 Feb 24: Richard J. Daley (Dem), nominated; Lar Daly (Dem), defeated in primary.
  • 1959 Feb 24: Timothy P. Sheehan (Rep), nominated; Lar Daly (Rep), defeated in primary.
  • 1959 Apr 7: Richard J. Daley (Dem), elected; Timothy P. Sheehan (Rep), defeated.
  • 1963 Feb 26: Richard J. Daley (Dem), nominated unopposed.
  • 1963 Feb 26: Benjamin S. Adamowski (Rep), nominated; Howard J. Doyle (Rep), defeated in primary; Lar Daly (Rep), defeated in primary.
  • 1963 Apr 2: Richard J. Daley (Dem), elected; Benjamin S. Adamowski (Rep), defeated.
  • 1967 Feb 28: Richard J. Daley (Dem), nominated unopposed.
  • 1967 Feb 28: John L. Waner (Rep), nominated; Howard J. Doyle (Rep), defeated in primary; Lar Daly (Rep), defeated in primary.
  • 1967 Apr 4: Richard J. Daley (Dem), elected; John L. Waner (Rep), defeated; Dick Gregory, defeated; Lar Daly, defeated.
  • 1971 Feb 23: Richard J. Daley (Dem), nominated unopposed.
  • 1971 Feb 23: Richard E. Friedman (Rep), nominated unopposed.
  • 1971 Apr 6: Richard J. Daley (Dem), elected; Richard E. Friedman (Rep), defeated.
  • 1975 Feb 25: Richard J. Daley (Dem), nominated; William S. Singer (Dem), defeated in primary; Richard H. Newhouse (Dem), defeated in primary; Edward V. Hanrahan (Dem), defeated in primary.
  • 1975 Feb 25: John J. Hoellen (Rep), nominated; Frank R. Ranallo (Rep), defeated in primary; Don DuMont (Rep), defeated in primary.
  • 1975 Apr 1: Richard J. Daley (Dem), elected; John J. Hoellen (Rep), defeated; Willa Mae Reid (Socialist Workers), defeated.
  • 1976 Dec 20: Richard J. Daley, died in office.
  • 1977 Apr 19: Michael A. Bilandic (Dem), nominated; Roman C. Pucinski (Dem), defeated in primary; Harold Washington (Dem), defeated in primary; Edward V. Hanrahan (Dem), defeated in primary; Anthony Robert Martin-Trigona (Dem), defeated in primary; Ellis E. Reid (Dem), defeated in primary.
  • 1977 Apr 19: Dennis H. Block (Rep), nominated; A. A. Rayner, Jr. (Rep), defeated in primary; George M. Manning (Rep), defeated in primary; Frank R. Ranallo (Rep), defeated in primary.
  • 1977 Jun 7: Michael A. Bilandic (Dem), elected; Dennis H. Block (Rep), defeated; Dennis Brasky (Socialist Workers), defeated; Gerald M. Rose (U.S. Labor), defeated.
  • 1979 Feb 27: Jane M. Byrne (Dem), nominated; Michael A. Bilandic (Dem), defeated in primary.
  • 1979 Feb 27: Wallace O. Johnson (Rep), nominated; Raymond G. Wardingley (Rep), defeated in primary.
  • 1979 Apr 3: Jane M. Byrne (Dem), elected; Wallace O. Johnson (Rep), defeated; Andrew Pulley (Socialist Workers), defeated.
  • 1983 Feb 22: Harold Washington (Dem), nominated; Jane M. Byrne (Dem), defeated in primary; Richard M. Daley (Dem), defeated in primary; Frank R. Ranallo (Dem), defeated in primary; William R. Markowski (Dem), defeated in primary; Sheila A. Jones (Dem), defeated in primary.
  • 1983 Feb 22: Bernard E. Epton (Rep), nominated unopposed.
  • 1983 Apr 12: Harold Washington (Dem), elected; Bernard E. Epton (Rep), defeated; Eddie L. Warren (Socialist Workers), defeated.
  • 1987 Feb 24: Harold Washington (Dem), nominated; Jane M. Byrne (Dem), defeated in primary; Sheila A. Jones (Dem), defeated in primary.
  • 1987 Feb 24: Donald H. Haider (Rep), nominated; Kenneth R. Hurst (Rep), defeated in primary; Chester R. Hornowski (Rep), defeated in primary; Raymond G. Wardingley (Rep), defeated in primary.
  • 1987 Feb 24: Edward R. Vrdolyak (Illinois Solidarity), nominated unopposed.
  • 1987 Apr 7: Harold Washington (Dem), elected; Edward R. Vrdolyak (Illinois Solidarity), defeated; Donald H. Haider (Rep), defeated.
  • 1987 Nov 25: Harold Washington, died in office.
  • 1989 Feb 28: Richard M. Daley (Dem), nominated; Eugene Sawyer (Dem), defeated in primary; Lawrence S. Bloom (Dem), defeated in primary; James C. Taylor (Dem), defeated in primary; Sheila A. Jones (Dem), defeated in primary.
  • 1989 Feb 28: Herbert Sohn (Rep), nominated, but withdrew; Kenneth R. Hurst (Rep), defeated in primary; Bill Grutzmacher (Rep), defeated in primary.
  • 1989 Apr 4: Richard M. Daley (Dem), elected; Edward R. Vrdolyak (Rep), defeated; Timothy C. Evans (Harold Washington Party), defeated.
  • 1991 Feb 26: Richard M. Daley (Dem), nominated; Danny K. Davis (Dem), defeated in primary; Jane M. Byrne (Dem), defeated in primary; Sheila A. Jones (Dem), defeated in primary.
  • 1991 Feb 26: George S. Gottlieb (Rep), nominated; Alfred Walter Balciunas (Rep), defeated in primary; Pervis Spann (Rep), defeated in primary.
  • 1991 Apr 2: Richard M. Daley (Dem), elected; R. Eugene Pincham (Harold Washington Party), defeated; George S. Gottlieb (Rep), defeated; James Warren (Socialist Workers), defeated.
  • 1995 Feb 28: Richard M. Daley (Dem), nominated; Joseph E. Gardner (Dem), defeated in primary; Sheila A. Jones (Dem), defeated in primary.
  • 1995 Feb 28: Raymond G. Wardingley (Rep), nominated; Larry Horist (Rep), defeated in primary; Saturnino Noriego (Rep), defeated in primary; Bill Grutzmacher (Rep), defeated in primary; Kimball Ladien (Rep), defeated in primary.
  • 1995 Apr 4: Richard M. Daley (Dem), elected; Roland W. Burris (Ind), defeated; Raymond G. Wardingley (Rep), defeated; Lawrence Redmond (Harold Washington Party), defeated.
  • 1999 Feb 23: Richard M. Daley, elected; Bobby L. Rush, defeated.
  • 2003 Feb 25: Richard M. Daley, elected; Paul L. Jakes, Jr., defeated; Patricia McAllister, defeated; Joseph McAfee, Jr., defeated.
  • 2007 Feb 27: Richard M. Daley (Dem), elected; Dorothy A. Brown, defeated; William Walls III, defeated.
  • 2011 Feb 22: Rahm Emanuel, elected; Gery Chico, defeated; Miguel del Valle, defeated; Carol Moseley=Braun, defeated; Patricia Van Pelt-Watkins, defeated; William Walls III, defeated.
  • 2015: Rahm Emanuel (Dem), elected.

    Postmasters at Chicago, 1831-1972 (may be incomplete!)
    J. N. Bailey 1831-32 John S. C. Hogan 1832-37 Sidney Abell 1837-41 William Stuart 1841-45 Hart L. Stuart 1845-49 Richard L. Wilson 1849-50 George W. Dale 1850-53 Isaac Cook 1853-57 William Price 1857-58 Isaac Cook 1858-61 John L. Scripps 1861-65 Samuel Hoard 1865-66 Robert A. Gillmore 1866-67 Francis T. Sherman 1867-69 Francis A. Eastman 1869-73 John McArthur 1873-77 Frank W. Palmer 1877-85 S. Corning Judd 1885-88 Walter C. Newberry 1888-89 James A. Sexton 1889-93 Washington Hesing 1893-97 Charles Ulysses Gordon 1897-1901 Frederick E. Coyne 1901-05 Fred A. Busse 1905-07 Daniel A. Campbell 1907-17 William B. Carlile 1917-21 Arthur C. Lueder 1921-23 Grant B. Miller 1923 Arthur C. Lueder 1923-24 Arthur C. Lueder 1924-33 Ernest J. Kruetgen 1933-34 Ernest J. Kruetgen 1934-48 John Haderlein 1948-49 John Haderlein 1949-52 Vincent F. Werner 1952-53 Carl A. Schroeder 1953-54 Carl A. Schroeder 1954-61 Ralph G. Donegan 1961 Harry H. Semrow 1961-62 Harry H. Semrow 1962-66 William Boschelli 1966 Henry W. McGee 1966 Henry W. McGee 1966-72

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