1925 New York City mayoral election

The 1925 New York City mayoral election took place on November 3, 1925. Incumbent Democratic mayor John Francis Hylan ran for re-election to a third term in office but was defeated in the Democratic Party primary on September 15, 1925 by State Senator Jimmy Walker. In the general election, Walker defeated Republican nominee Frank D. Waterman.

1925 New York City mayoral election

← 1921 November 5, 1925 1929 →

Nominee Jimmy Walker Frank D. Waterman Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 748,687 346,564 Percentage 65.80% 30.50%

Results by Borough Walker:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% Waterman:      50–60%      60–70%

Mayor before election John F. Hylan Democratic Elected mayor Jimmy Walker Democratic

Democratic primary

Candidates

• John Francis Hylan, incumbent mayor since 1918
• Jimmy Walker, State Senator and former Assemblyman from Greenwich Village

Campaign

Walker, the Democratic party leader in the New York State Senate received the support from John McCooey, the leader in Brooklyn, and Walker from Ed Flynn of the Bronx, went on to defeat New York Mayor John Hylan in the Democratic primary.

Results

1925 Democratic mayoral primary

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Jimmy Walker	248,338	61.69%
	Democratic	John F. Hylan (incumbent)	154,204	37.31%
Total votes			402,542	100.00%

Results by borough

1925 Democratic primary	Manhattan	The Bronx	Brooklyn	Queens	Richmond [Staten Is.]	Total	%
Jimmy Walker	102,835	45,308	65,671	28,203	6,321	248,338	62%
	79%	68%	52%	47%	34%
John Francis Hylan	27,802	21,228	60,814	32,163	12,197	154,204	38%
	21%	32%	48%	53%	66%
subtotal (for Walker and Hylan only)	130,637	66,536	126,485	60,366	18,518	402,542	[100%]

General election

Candidates

• Joseph Brandon (Socialist Labor)
• Warren Fisher (Progressive)
• Norman Thomas, Presbyterian minister and perennial candidate (Socialist)
• Jimmy Walker, State Senator and former Assemblyman from Greenwich Village (Democratic)
• Frank D. Waterman, president of Waterman Pen Company (Republican)

Campaign

The main contenders in the race were the Democratic Party candidate Jimmy Walker (1881-1946), a city assemblyman and State Senator, and the Republican candidate Frank D. Waterman (1869-1938) of the Waterman Pen Company. Walker's reputation as a flamboyant man-about-town made him a hero to many working-class voters; he was often seen at legitimate theaters and illegitimate speakeasies. Walker backed many social and cultural issues that were considered politically important at the time, such as opposition to Prohibition, social welfare legislation, legalization of boxing, repeal of blue laws against Sunday baseball games, and condemning the Ku Klux Klan. Waterman was a vocal critic of the Tammany machine's mismanagement of municipal affairs with the expansion of the subway system as a main issue. Waterman, however, was repeatedly accused of hostility to labor, discriminatory hiring practices, and anti-Semitism.

Results

Walker defeated Waterman after receiving 748,687 votes to Waterman's 346,546 votes.

Results by borough

1925 general election	Party	Manhattan	The Bronx	Brooklyn	Queens	Richmond [Staten Is.]	Total	%
Jimmy Walker	Democratic	247,079	131,226	244,029	103,629	22,724	748,687	65.8%
		69.4%	71.8%	60.9%	63.0%	67.3%
Frank D. Waterman	Republican	98,617	39,615	139,060	58,478	10,794	346,564	30.5%
		27.7%	21.7%	34.7%	35.6%	32.0%
Norman Thomas	Socialist	9,482	11,133	16,809	1,943	207	39,574	3.5%
Joseph Brandon	Socialist Labor	388	488	591	155	21	1,643	0.1%
Warren Fisher	Progressive	387	262	528	284	37	1,498	0.1%
TOTAL		355,953	182,724	401,017	164,489	33,783	1,137,966