1881 Chicago mayoral election

← 1879 April 5, 1881 1883 →

Nominee Carter Harrison Sr. John M. Clark Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 35,668 27,925 Percentage 55.22% 43.23%

Mayor before election Carter Harrison Sr. Democratic Elected Mayor Carter Harrison Sr. Democratic

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v t e

The Chicago mayoral election of 1881 was held on April 5, saw the incumbent mayor, Democrat Carter Harrison Sr., defeat Republican Candidate John M. Clark. Harrison won a majority of the vote with a nearly twelve point margin of victory.

The election took place on April 5.^[1][2] Unlike in the previous mayoral election, the Socialist Labor Party's nominee did not have much of an impact.

Harrison's Republican opponent, John M. Clark was a Chicago alderman that had been elected to the Chicago City Council two years earlier.^[3]

Harrison's sizable victory came despite the fact that Republicans had carried the city in the 1880 elections by a similar vote margin.^[4]

Results