# 1935 Toronto municipal election

Municipal elections were held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on January 1, 1935. James Simpson won a surprise victory in the mayoral campaign to become the first socialist candidate elected to the office.

## Toronto mayor

Incumbent William James Stewart chose not to run for reelection. The race to succeed him became focused on two candidates. James Simpson, known as "People's Jimmy" was a long serving member of the Board of Control and former vice-president of the Trades and Labour Congress of Canada. He was an active member of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation and a self-described socialist. Simpson was strongly opposed by many religious leaders, former mayor Stewart, and three of the four daily newspapers. Only the Toronto Daily Star endorsed his run. The other three papers endorsed Alderman Harry W. Hunt who finished a close second. Also running were controller J. George Ramsden and communist Reverend A.E. Smith, but they finished considerably back.

### Results

    James Simpson - 54,400
    Harry W. Hunt - 50,986
    J. George Ramsden - 16,851
    A.E. Smith - 4,760

## Board of Control

Incumbent Sam McBride and William D. Robbins won reelection to the Board of Control. As Simpson and Ramsden chose to run for mayor, this left two vacancies on the board. These were filled by Alderman Ralph Day and former alderman William J. Wadsworth. Finishing further back were two ex-controllers, Claude Pierce and A.E. Hacker. Also running were social activist Adelaide Plumptre and Communist leader Tim Buck. Alderman George Duthie was also a candidate but withdrew

### Results

    Sam McBride (incumbent) - 71,177
    William J. Wadsworth - 58,783
    William D. Robbins (incumbent) - 44,820
    Ralph Day - 41,515
    Claude Pearce - 34,064
    Adelaide Plumptre - 32,872
    A.E Hacker - 29,110
    Frank Regan - 26,242
    Tim Buck - 9,938

## City council
### Ward 1 (Riverdale)

    Frank M. Johnston (incumbent) - 7,412
    W.A. Summerville - 5,171
    Gordon Millen - 4,682
    Zeph Hilton - 3,736
    Clifford Lock - 1,686
    David Spencer - 881
    Thomas Cooney - 858

### Ward 2 (Cabbagetown and Rosedale)

    Harry Gladstone Clarke (incumbent) - 6,082
    John R. Beamish (incumbent) - 4,738
    William Dennison - 2,659
    Percy Bishop - 2348
    Thomas James - 465

### Ward 3 (Central Business District)

    John Laidlaw (incumbent) - 2,990
    John S. Simmons - 2,334
    Arnold Ferguson - 1,980
    Albert Kinnear - 1,696
    Fred Ross - 925
    Alfred Burgess - 490
    C.A. Risk - 457
    Abraham Golberg - 294
    Joseph Kent - 290

### Ward 4 (Kensington Market and Garment District)

    Robert Hood Saunders - 4,779
    Nathan Phillips (incumbent) - 4,691
    H.M. Goodman - 2,293
    Ida Siegel - 2,130
    Myer Klig - 1,068
    Max Federman - 552
    Max Orenstein - 534
    S.C. Schiller - 419

### Ward 5 (Trinity-Bellwoods)

    Fred Hamilton (incumbent) - 6,483
    Robert Leslie - 5,931
    Harold Menzies - 3,091
    Thomas Black - 2,907
    Stewart Smith - 1,871
    James Conner - 1,576
    Charles Kerr - 1,045
    Albert Plenty - 499

### Ward 6 (Davenport and Parkdale)

    Frederick J. Conboy - 12,961
    D.C. MacGregor (incumbent) - 9,015
    Harold Tracy - 6,530
    Robert Stanley - 3,714
    Harry Stephenson - 1,575
    George Granell - 600
    Bertram Tipping - 475

### Ward 7 (West Toronto Junction)

    George H. Gardiner (incumbent) - 7,217
    Frank Whetter (incumbent) - 5,698
    Harry Wynn - 3,267
    John McPhee - 1,594

### Ward 8 (East Toronto)

    Ernest Bray (incumbent) - 9,603
    Walter Howell - 8,537
    Albert Burnese - 4,548
    Robert Baker - 4,399
    David MacKay - 878
    David Weir - 763
    Alfred Hambleton - 445

### Ward 9 (North Toronto)

    William D. Ellis (incumbent) - 8,224
    Douglas McNish - 5,435
    Herbert Ball - 4,456
    John Innes - 3,546
    Charles Reeves - 1,646
    Walter Wilkinson - 1,689
    John McGonnell - 453
Results taken from the January 2, 1935 Toronto Star and might not exactly match final tallies. Ward 3 and 6 results taken from the January 2, 1935 Toronto Telegram.