1925 Los Angeles mayoral election

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1925 Los Angeles mayoral election
← 1923 May 5, 1925 (1925-05-05) 1929 →
 
Candidate George E. Cryer Benjamin F. Bledsoe Miles S. Gregory
Popular vote 82,186 67,722 9,540
Percentage 51.2% 42.2% 6.0%

Mayor before election

George E. Cryer

Elected Mayor

George E. Cryer

The 1925 Los Angeles mayoral election took place on May 5, 1925. Incumbent George E. Cryer was re-elected, defeating five challengers including judge Benjamin Franklin Bledsoe and Councilmember Miles S. Gregory and winning outright without the need of a general election.[1]

Municipal elections in California, including Mayor of Los Angeles, are officially nonpartisan; candidates' party affiliations do not appear on the ballot.[2]

Election[edit]

Incumbent George E. Cryer had been elected in 1921 and was now seeking re-election for a third term.[3] The election came after the passage of the 1925 charter, which amended the dates of elections and term years; the election was now on odd-numbered years and the term was extended to four years instead of two.

Cryer was challenged by Benjamin Franklin Bledsoe, a district judge from the United States District Court for the Southern District of California. Bledsoe, a Democrat, was supported by many women in Los Angeles and prominent attorney W. H. Anderson.[4][5] He had been urged to run in the election by many leaders, and had stayed quiet about his plans until his announcement to run.[6]

In February 1925, Sylvester Weaver, president of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, and Assemblymember Thomas L. Dodge withdrew from the race, leaving the main competition between Cryer and Bledsoe; Weaver endorsed Bledsoe for the race.[7]

Although Bledsoe was predicted to have an advantage due to a heavy vote, Cryer defeated all his opponents and was re-elected.[1][8] The election was challenged by Edna Allen, who was an elector in the primary, who said that judges in all the districts counted ballots for Cryer that weren't meant for him.[9]

Results[edit]

Los Angeles mayoral general election, May 5, 1925[10]
Candidate Votes %
George E. Cryer (incumbent) 82,186 51.24
Benjamin Franklin Bledsoe 67,722 42.22
Miles S. Gregory 9,540 5.95
Edgar McKee 390 0.24
E. J. Rindler 332 0.21
Ralph L. Knapp 229 0.14
Total votes 258,420 100.00

References and footnotes[edit]

  1. ^ a b "TUESDAY'S PRIMARY". Los Angeles Times. May 7, 1925. ProQuest 161713167.
  2. ^ "LOS ANGELES: STRUCTURE OF A CITY GOVERNMENT" (PDF). League of Women Voters.
  3. ^ "THIRD TERM IS ASKED BY CRYER: Candidacy is Announced for Re-election as Mayor nicipal Ownership Chief Plank in Platform Boulder Darn Project A1lso Declared Issue". Los Angeles Times. February 22, 1925. ProQuest 161758215.
  4. ^ "Women Urge Women to Support Judge Bledsoe: To the Womanhood of Los Angeles". Los Angeles Times. May 1, 1925. ProQuest 161697972.
  5. ^ "ATTORNEY SAYS ELECT BLEDSOE: W. H. Anderson Lauds Former Federal Jurist Weak Attitude Shown by Incumbent Mayor Asserts Candidate Will be Virile in Office". Los Angeles Times. May 4, 1925. ProQuest 161745541.
  6. ^ "LEADERS URGE BLEDSOE TO ENTER MAYORALTY RACE: Petition Bearing Names of Many Prominent Citizens Seeks Jurist as Candidate". February 18, 1925. ProQuest 161641810.
  7. ^ "WEAVER, DODGE DROP OUT; PRIMARY VOTE DECISIVE: Field Now Clear for Bledsoe-Cryer Contest Save for Gregory; Federal Jurist Lauded". Los Angeles Times. February 20, 1925. ProQuest 161630610.
  8. ^ "MAYORALTY CONTEST IS MAIN ELECTION ISSUE: Anticipated Heavy Vote to be to Advantage of Judge Bledsoe; His Record, Platform". Los Angeles Times. May 3, 1925. ProQuest 161724935.
  9. ^ "CRYER ELECTION IS CHALLENGED: Charge of Vote Juggling is Filed With Court Woman Asserts Ballots of Others Given Mayor Connection With Party or Group Disclaimed". Los Angeles Times. June 12, 1925. ProQuest 161741956.
  10. ^ "Los Angeles Mayor". Our Campaigns.

External links[edit]