1899 Boston mayoral election


The Boston mayoral election of 1899 occurred on Tuesday, December 12, 1899. Republican candidate and former Mayor of Boston Thomas N. Hart defeated Democratic candidate Patrick Collins, and two other contenders, to become mayor for the second time. Incumbent mayor Josiah Quincy had announced in July 1899 that he would not seek re-election.
Hart benefitted from strife within the Democratic party, where John R. Murphy had lost the nomination to Collins. Murphy subsequently announced his intent to cross party lines and vote for Hart. The votes of Murphy and his followers in support of the Republican candidate contributed to Collins' defeat, and was referred to as a "knifing" in contemporary news reports.
Hart was inaugurated on Monday, January 1, 1900.

Candidates