Pittsburgh mayoral election, 1933
Encyclopedia
The Mayor
al election of 1933 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
was held on Tuesday
, November 6, 1933. In a realigning election
, Democrats
regained control of the mayor's office for the first time in 28 years; they have not relinquished this position since. The incumbent mayor, John Herron
of the Republican Party
chose to run for his first full term. Herron had been elevated to the executive office from his position as city council president after Charles Kline resigned over a fiscal scandal; he inherited a party whose once efficient machinery was in crisis. Democrats, led by new powerful grassroots organizer David Lawrence
(a future mayor) selected William McNair
, an idealistic and outspoken attorney as their candidate. With the beginnings of the New Deal
being set into place, Pittsburgh's strong labor community moved rapidly toward the Democrats, creating a huge shift in voting patterns and allowing McNair to win.
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
al election of 1933 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
was held on Tuesday
Election Day (United States)
Election Day in the United States is the day set by law for the general elections of public officials. It occurs on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. The earliest possible date is November 2 and the latest possible date is November 8...
, November 6, 1933. In a realigning election
Realigning election
Realigning election are terms from political science and political history describing a dramatic change in the political system. Scholars frequently apply the term to American elections and occasionally to other countries...
, Democrats
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
regained control of the mayor's office for the first time in 28 years; they have not relinquished this position since. The incumbent mayor, John Herron
John S. Herron
John S. Herron , served as the 47th Mayor of Pittsburgh from 1933 to 1934.-Early life:Born in Oswego, New York, Herron came to Pittsburgh as a blue-collar worker and quickly entered leadership as President of the Bricklayers Union...
of the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
chose to run for his first full term. Herron had been elevated to the executive office from his position as city council president after Charles Kline resigned over a fiscal scandal; he inherited a party whose once efficient machinery was in crisis. Democrats, led by new powerful grassroots organizer David Lawrence
David L. Lawrence
David Leo Lawrence was an American politician who served as the 37th Governor of Pennsylvania from 1959 to 1963. He is to date the only mayor of Pittsburgh to be elected Governor of Pennsylvania. Previously, he had been the mayor of Pittsburgh from 1946 through 1959...
(a future mayor) selected William McNair
William N. McNair
William N. McNair , served as the 48th Mayor of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1934 to 1936.-Early life:...
, an idealistic and outspoken attorney as their candidate. With the beginnings of the New Deal
New Deal
The New Deal was a series of economic programs implemented in the United States between 1933 and 1936. They were passed by the U.S. Congress during the first term of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The programs were Roosevelt's responses to the Great Depression, and focused on what historians call...
being set into place, Pittsburgh's strong labor community moved rapidly toward the Democrats, creating a huge shift in voting patterns and allowing McNair to win.