# 1909 Los Angeles mayoral election

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vte :
The 1909 Los Angeles mayoral election took place on November 9, 1909, with a run-off election on December 7, 1909. Incumbent George Alexander was re-elected over George A. Smith in the runoff election.
Municipal elections in California, including Mayor of Los Angeles, are officially nonpartisan; candidates' party affiliations do not appear on the ballot.

## Election

Incumbent George Alexander won the March 1909 Los Angeles mayoral election to finish Arthur C. Harper's term, and was now seeking a full term. He was challenged by George A. Smith, a fellow Republican and former Councilman, William C. Mushet, an Independent who was the Los Angeles City Auditor, and Oscar Eugene Farish, a Democrat and former Councilman.
In the primary, Smith and Mushet were close in totals to be included on the ballot for the runoff election, and some Mushet supporters floated the idea of Smith withdrawing to allow Mushet on the ballot. In the results, Smith had a lead by a small margin, placing him on the ballot. After the results of the primary were released, Mushet sued for a recount, alleging misconduct in every precinct. A month later, he stated that he had "failed to gain a place on the ballot partly because of a defect in the primary election law."
In the general election, Alexander defeated Smith with a majority vote.

## Results
### Primary election

Los Angeles mayoral primary election, November 9, 1909 :
| Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
| George Alexander (incumbent) | George Alexander (incumbent) | 12,143 | 39.59 |
| George A. Smith | George A. Smith | 7,184 | 23.42 |
| William C. Mushet | William C. Mushet | 7,165 | 23.36 |
| Oscar Eugene Farish | Oscar Eugene Farish | 3,254 | 10.61 |
| W. Scott Lewis | W. Scott Lewis | 720 | 2.35 |
| James C. Hurley | James C. Hurley | 116 | 0.38 |
| J. W. Jones | J. W. Jones | 88 | 0.29 |
| Total votes | Total votes | 30,670 | 100.00 |

### General election

Los Angeles mayoral general election, December 7, 1909 :
| Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
| George Alexander (incumbent) | George Alexander (incumbent) | 20,291 | 54.47 |
| George A. Smith | George A. Smith | 16,964 | 45.54 |
| Total votes | Total votes | 37,255 | 100.00 |

## References and footnotes

* ↑ "LOS ANGELES: STRUCTURE OF A CITY GOVERNMENT" (PDF). League of Women Voters.
* ↑ "THREATENS TO KNIFE NOMINEE". Los Angeles Herald. November 14, 1909.
* ↑ "MUSHET AND SMITH RUN CLOSE RACE FOR PLACE ON BALLOT". Los Angeles Herald. November 11, 1909.
* ↑ "MUSHET SUES FOR RECOUNT.: He Alleges Malconduct in Every Precinct; Smith's Counsel Undecided as to His Course; Co-operation for a Quick Finish Hoped for. SUES FOR RECOUNT". Los Angeles Times. November 16, 1909. ProQuest 159380134.
* ↑ "MUSHET MAKES HIS PREFERENCE CLEAR.: Opposed to Control of City by Newspaper Bosses--"God Help Los Angeles if Good Government Organization Manipulators Win."". Los Angeles Times. December 3, 1909. ProQuest 159400028.
* ↑ Los Angeles Herald, page 1
* ↑ "Official Returns," Los Angeles Herald, December 9, 1909
* ↑ "Los Angeles Mayor - Primary". Our Campaigns.
* ↑ "Los Angeles Mayor". Our Campaigns.