# 1851 Boston mayoral election

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The 1851 Boston mayoral election saw the election of Benjamin Seaver, a former president of the Boston Common Council, as mayor of Boston. The election took three votes, as no candidate secured the needed majority in the first two attempts. In the third attempt, Seaver won the required majority by the margin of a single vote. Incumbent Whig mayor John P. Bigelow was not a nominee for reelection.

## First vote (December 8, 1851)

Candidates
* Jerome V. C. Smith ("Native American Party" –Know Nothing), physician
* John H. Wilkins (Whig)
* George F. Williams (Free Soil Party)
* Adam Wallace Thaxter Jr. (Democratic Party), merchant and Democratic for mayor in the first vote of the 1844 election
Result
Boston mayoral election first vote (December 8, 1851) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | John H. Wilkins | 4,423 | 45.13 |
| | Know Nothing | Jerome V. C. Smith | 2,672 | 27.26 |
| | Democratic | Adam W. Thaxter Jr. | 2,150 | 21.94 |
| | Free Soil | George F. Williams | 475 | 4.85 |
| | Scattering | Other | 81 | 0.83 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 9,801 | 100 |

## Second vote (December 17, 1851)

Candidates
* Benjamin Seaver (Whig), former president of the Boston Common Council
* Jerome V. C. Smith, physician
* John H. Wilkins
* George F. Williams
* Henry B. Rogers
* Adam Wallace Thaxter Jr., merchant and candidate for mayor in 1844
Result
Boston mayoral election second vote (December 17, 1851) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | Benjamin Seaver | 3,970 | 47.31 |
| | Know Nothing | Jerome V. C. Smith | 2,680 | 31.94 |
| | Democratic | Adam W. Thaxter Jr. | 1,290 | 15.37 |
| | Free Soil | George F. Williams | 244 | 2.91 |
| | | Henry B. Rogers | 158 | 1.88 |
| | Scattering | Other | 50 | 0.60 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 8,392 | 100 |

## Third vote (December 24, 1851)

Candidates
* Benjamin Seaver (Whig), former president of the Boston Common Council
* Jerome V. C. Smith, physician
* Henry B. Rogers
* Adam Wallace Thaxter Jr., merchant and candidate for mayor in 1844
Result
Boston mayoral election third vote (December 24, 1851) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | Benjamin Seaver | 3,990 | 50.05 |
| | Know Nothing | Jerome V. C. Smith | 2,736 | 34.32 |
| | Democratic | Adam W. Thaxter Jr. | 1,024 | 12.84 |
| | | Henry B. Rogers | 188 | 2.36 |
| | Scattering | Other | 38 | 0.48 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 7,976 | 100 |

## Summary table of all votes

1851 Boston mayoral election results :
| Vote round | Whig Party | Whig Party | Democratic Party | Democratic Party | Know Nothing Party | Know Nothing Party | Free Soil Party | Free Soil Party | Other candidate | Other candidate | Scattering |
| Vote round | Nominee | % | Nominee | % | Nominee | % | Nominee | % | Candidate | % | % |
| 1st | John H. Wilkins | 45.13 | Adam W. Thaxter Jr | 21.95 | Jerome V. C. Smith | 27.26 | George F. Williams | 4.85 | — | — | 0.83 |
| 2nd | Benjamin Seaver | 47.31 | Adam W. Thaxter Jr | 15.37 | Jerome V. C. Smith | 31.94 | George F. Williams | 2.91 | Henry B. Rogers | 1.88 | 0.60 |
| 3rd | Benjamin Seaver | 50.05 | Adam W. Thaxter Jr | 12.84 | Jerome V. C. Smith | 34.32 | — | — | Henry B. Rogers | 2.36 | 0.48 |