Mayoral elections in Manchester, New Hampshire, in the 20th century

The city of Manchester, New Hampshire, held its first mayoral election in 1846.[1][2]

Throughout the 20th century, and still today, regularly-scheduled elections are for two-year terms. This had been the case since the 1880 election.

The city's mayoral elections are currently are nonpartisan, a change which was adopted before the 1997 election. While, prior to 1997, elections had long been partisan, there had been stretches previous to 1999 in which the city's mayoral elections had been nonpartisan, including the stretch of four elections held from 1953 through 1959.[3]

The 1902 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election was held to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. It saw the election of Democratic candidate Eugene Elliott Reed, who defeated Republican candidate Walter M. Fulton, Independent Citizens candidate Murdock A. Weathers and Socialist candidate John E. Mansfield.[4]

The 1904 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election was held to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. It saw the reelection of Eugene Elliott Reed, who defeated Charles J. Brygger and James E. Reed.[4]

The 1906 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election was held to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. It saw the reelection of Democratic incumbent Eugene Elliott Reed to a third consecutive term. Reed defeated Republican candidate Charles E. Cox and Socialist candidate Samuel F. Claflin.[4]

The 1908 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election was held to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. It saw the reelection of Democratic incumbent Eugene Elliott Reed to a fourth consecutive term. Reed defeated Republican candidate Lloyd T. Mead, Socialist candidate John C. Paine, and independent candidate George W. Rief.[4]

The 1910 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election was held to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. It saw the election of Edward Clarke Smith, who defeated James Sullivan.[4]

The 1912 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election was held to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. It saw the election of Democratic candidate Charles C. Hayes, who defeated Republican candidate Victor W. Roy, Progressive candidate Lloyd T. Mead, Socialist candidate William J. Ryan.[4]

1914 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election

December 8, 1914

Candidate Harry W. Spaulding Charles C. Hayes Party Republican Democratic

Mayor before election Charles C. Hayes Democratic Elected Mayor Harry W. Spaulding Republican

The 1914 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election was held on December 8, 1914,[6] to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. It saw the election of Republican Harry W. Spaulding, who defeated Democratic incumbent Charles C. Hayes and Socialist candidate William J. Ryan.[5][4] Sapulding won by a margin of 386 votes.[6] The election was considered one of the most hotly contested elections in years.[6]

In the coinciding Board of Aldermen election, the Republican Party won full control of the board, winning seven of the board's nine seats.[6]

1915 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election

November 2, 1915

Candidate Harry W. Spaulding Charles C. Hayes Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 5,306 4,284

Mayor before election Harry W. Spaulding Republican Elected Mayor Harry W. Spaulding Republican

The 1915 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election was held on November 2, 1915,[7] to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. It saw the reelection of Republican candidate Harry W. Spaulding, who defeated Democratic candidate Charles C. Hayes (himself a former mayor) and Socialist candidate James E. Dorren.[5][4] Spaulding's margin of victory was significantly greater than his margin of victory in the previous 1914 mayoral election.[8]

In the coinciding Board of Aldermen election, the Republican Party won ten of the thirteen seats on the board.[8][9] Also, notably, the Republican incumbent was elected the city's overseer of the poor against a Democratic challenger in that office's coinciding election.[8]

1917 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election

November 6, 1917

Candidate Moise Verrette Harry W. Spaulding Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 5,440 4,012 Percentage 57.55% 42.45%

Mayor before election Harry W. Spaulding Republican Elected Mayor Moise Verrette Democratic

The 1917 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election was held on November 6, 1917,[10] to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. It saw the election of Democratic candidate Moise Verrette, who unseated Republican incumbent Harry W. Spaulding.[5][4]

In the municipal elections held in the city on November 6, Democrats won overall control of the city's government for the first time in 42 years.[10] Democrats nearly swept all of the city's elections, winning not just the mayoralty, but also control of all of the city's commissions and public service boards, as well as the offices of auditor, collector, city clerk, engineer, messenger, physician, sealer, solicitor, superintendent of buildings, treasurer, and weigher. Democrats also won numerous municipal clerkships.[11]

The 1919 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election was held to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. It saw the reelection of Democratic incumbent Moise Verrette, who defeated Andrew B. Bunton.

The 1921 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election was held on November 8, 1921,[13] to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. It saw the election of Republican nominee George E. Trudel, who defeated Democratic nominee John L. Barry by a roughly 4,000-vote margin.

This was the first mayoral election in Manchester since the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which granted women suffrage across the entire United States. Consequently, it was first Manchester mayoral election in which women voted.

The 1923 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election was held on November 1, 1923,[15] to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. It saw the reelection of Republican incumbent George E. Trudel, who defeated Democratic challenger John L. Barry.[4] The campaign was described by the Groton Times as one of the city's "most stirring" election campaigns in years.[15]

Democratic nominee John L. Barry was a former Manchester alderman, and had been Trudel's opponent in the previous 1921 election. While he again lost to Trudel, Barry did managed to cut Trudel's margin of victory by nearly half compared to the previous election.[16]

In the coinciding Board of Aldermen election, Republicans retained their control of the board.[15] The Republicans also nearly swept the races for citywide offices, with the exception of charity commissioner (which saw a Democratic incumbent reelected).

The 1925 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election was held on November 3, 1925,[17] to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. It saw the election of Republican nominee Andrew E. Moreau, who defeated Democratic nominee Timothy F. Conner and independent candidate Adolph Wagner.

In the coinciding Board of Aldermen election, Republicans retained their majority of the board,[17] with Republicans winning eight seats and Democrats winning five.[18]

The 1927 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election was held on November 8, 1927,[22] to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. It saw the reelection of Republican incumbent Andrew E. Moreau, who defeated state senator William G. McCarthy, the Democratic nominee.[22]

In the coinciding municipal elections, the Republican nominee won a surprise victory in the race for commissioner of charities, and the Republican Party also increased its majority on the Board of Aldermen by a single seat (now holding nine of the board's ten seats) by unseating a ten-year incumbent.[23]

The 1929 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election was held on November 5, 1929,[24] to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. It saw the reelection of Republican incumbent Andrew E. Moreau to a third consecutive term. Moreau defeated Democratic nominee C. J. Belanger.[24]

In the city's coinciding Board of Aldermen election, the Republicans won nine of the board's thirteen seats, the same exact majority they had held before the election.[24]

The 1931 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election was held on November 3, 1931, to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. It saw the election of Democratic nominee Damase Caron, who unseated Republican incumbent Arthur E. Moreau by a roughly 1,500-vote margin of victory.[25] Caron's victory was viewed as a landslide victory.[26]

Caron was a local physician.[25]

Coinciding elections in the city, as well as much of the region, saw significant wins for Democrats, proving to be a regional wave election.[26] This included Democrats gaining the majority of the city's Board of Aldermen.[25] Also, a coinciding referendum saw the voters approve limited hours of sports and amusements to take place on Sundays, partially rolling-back the city's blue laws.[25][27]

The 1933 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election was held on November 7, 1933,[28] to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. It saw the reelection of Democratic incumbent Damase Caron, who defeated Republican nominee John Jacobson Jr. by a margin of 2,924 votes.[29]

On the eve of the election, the Portsmouth Herald described the campaign as having been "lively", and wrote that the result was expected to be very close.[30]

In the coinciding municipal elections, the Democratic Party won a majority of eleven of the thirteen seats on the city's Board of Aldermen (with Republicans winning the remaining two), and the Democratic incumbent commissioner of charities won reelection over their Republican opponent by a landslide 7,055 vote margin.[29]

The 1935 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election was held on November 5, 1935,[31] to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. It saw the reelection of Democratic incumbent Damase Caron to a third consecutive term. Caron defeated former postmaster Joseph H. Geisel, the Republican nominee, by a margin of roughly 3,300 votes. This was considered a landslide victory. At the time, this margin of victory was the greatest any Democrat had ever won in a Manchester mayoral election.[32]

In the coinciding municipal elections, the Democratic Party won a majority of ten of the thirteen seats on the city's Board of Aldermen.[32]

The 1937 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election was held on November 3, 1937,[33] to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. It saw the reelection of Democratic incumbent Damase Caron to a fourth consecutive term. Caron defeated Republican nominee Gerard A. Hamel.[33] He won by a vote margin even greater than his previous win, thus, setting a new record for the greatest margin of victory any Democrat had won in terms of vote numbers for a Manchester mayoral election.[32][33]

In the previous two years, Caron had helped lead the city through turbulent times, being credited with helping to diversify its economy with smaller industrial operations in the aftermath of the bankruptcy of the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company, a major employer in the city.[33][34]

The 1939 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election was held on November 7, 1939, to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. It saw the reelection of Democratic incumbent Damase Caron to a fifth consecutive term. Caron defeated Caron defeated Republican nominee Wilfred A. LaFlamme.[35] Caron was the first mayor of the city to win a fifth consecutive term.[5][4] Caron won by a 903-vote margin of victory, which was significantly smaller than the margins he had won his previous four elections by.

In the initial vote count, Caron won by a 1,009 vote margin of victory. However, on November 22, the city's Board of Aldermen approved a petition by the Republican City Committee to recount the vote in the city's ninth ward, where a discrepancy had the mayoral vote totals exceed the number of ballots cast by 74. The results of this recount were announced on November 29, and saw Caron's margin of victory decreased to 903 votes.[35][36]

The 1941 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election was held on November 4, 1941,[37] to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. It saw Republican nominee Wilfred A. LaFlamme unseat five-term Democratic incumbent Damase Caron.[4][37] The race was a rematch of the previous election.[4]

In the initial count, LaFlamme had a lead of 638 votes.[37] After a recount of the city's municipal elections was held, LaFlamme's final margin of victory over Caron was 618 votes.

The 1943 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election was held on November 2, 1943,[38] to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. It saw Democratic nominee Josephat T. Benoit unseat first-term Republican incumbent Wilfred A. Laflamme.[4] Benoit won election by a 1,229 vote margin of victory.[39] Benoit's win was considered an upset victory.[38]

Before resigning to run for mayor, Benoit had been the editor of the local French language newspaper L'Avenir National.[38]

The 1945 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election was held on November 6, 1945,[40] to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. It saw the reelection of Democratic incumbent Josephat T. Benoit, who defeated Republican nominee Leo F. Donnelly. Benoit won by a large margin.[40]

After the coinciding Board of Aldermen election, control of the board belonged to the Democrats. The election also coincided with a school board election.[40]

The 1947 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election was held on November 4, 1947, to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. It saw the reelection of Democratic incumbent Josephat T. Benoit to a third consecutive term. Benoit defeated Republican nominee Albert W. Hamel.[3]

The 1949 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election was held on November 8, 1949,[41] to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. It saw the reelection of Democratic incumbent Josephat T. Benoit to a fourth consecutive term. Benoit defeated Republican nominee Edward F. Fitzgerald.[3]

Election forecasters had correctly anticipated a Benoit victory.[41]

Republican nominee Fitzgerald had previously run unsuccessfully for New Hampshire Governor's Council in 1938.[42]

The 1951 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election was held on November 6, 1951,[43] to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. It saw the reelection of Democratic incumbent Josephat T. Benoit to a fifth consecutive term. Benoit defeated Republican nominee James L. Mahony.[3]

Election forecasters had anticipated an easy Benoit victory.[43] However, he wound up only winning by a 664 margin.[44]

The election coincided with school board, selectmen, and Board of Aldermen elections in the city.[43]

1953 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election

November 3, 1953

Candidate Josephat T. Benoit Alphonse Roy Party Nonpartisan Nonpartisan

Mayor before election Josephat T. Benoit Democratic Elected Mayor Josephat T. Benoit Democratic

The 1953 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election was held on November 3, 1953,[45] to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. It saw the reelection of incumbent mayor Josephat T. Benoit to a sixth consecutive term. Benoit defeated former United States congressman Alphonse Roy.[3] Benoit was the first, and is so far the only, mayor in the city's history to win election to a sixth term.[3][5]

The election was the first election to be held under new rules which saw municipal elections become nonpartisan.[3]

The 1955 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election was held on November 7, 1955,[46] to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. It saw the reelection of incumbent mayor Josephat T. Benoit to a seventh consecutive term. Benoit defeated James B. Sullivan and Clemens Martell.[46]

The election was formally nonpartisan.[4]

The 1957 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election was held on November 5, 1957, to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. It saw the reelection of incumbent mayor Josephat T. Benoit to an eighth consecutive term. Benoit defeated Peter Poirier.[3]

The election was officially nonpartisan.[3]

The 1959 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election was held on November 3, 1959, to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. It saw the reelection of incumbent mayor Josephat T. Benoit to a ninth consecutive term. Benoit's challenger, John C. Mongan, a telephone company executive, ran a serious campaign against to him.[47]

The election was officially nonpartisan.[3]

The 1961 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election was held on November 7, 1961,[48] to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. It saw the election of Republican nominee John C. Mongan, who defeated Democratic nominee Roger E. Brassard.[3]

The election was the first to be run by new rules which saw the shift back to partisan municipal elections, after the past four mayoral elections had been nonpartisan.[3]

Mongan had earlier run in the previous 1959 mayoral election.[3]

Mongan's victory was a surprise upset victory. At the time, the city was overwhelmingly Democratic-leaning (with Democrats being believed to outnumber Republicans by a 2–1 margin).[49]

The 1963 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election was held on November 5, 1963, to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. It saw the election of Democratic nominee Roland S. Vallee, who defeated incumbent Republican mayor John C. Mongan.[3] Vallee won by a roughly 2,200 vote margin.[50]

1965 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election

November 3, 1965

Candidate Roland S. Vallee Paul M. Martel Party Democratic Republican

Mayor before election Roland S. Vallee Democratic Elected Mayor Roland S. Vallee Democratic

The 1965 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election was held on November 3, 1965, to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. It saw the reelection of Democratic incumbent Roland S. Vallee, who defeated Republican nominee Paul M. Martel.[3] Vallee won by a 4,838 margin of victory.[51]

1967 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election

November 8, 1967

Candidate John C. Mongan Roland S. Vallee Party Republican Democratic

Mayor before election Roland S. Vallee Democratic Elected Mayor John C. Mongan Republican

The 1967 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election was held on November 8, 1967, to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. It saw the election of Republican Roland S. Vallee to a second nonconsecutive term, unseating incumbent two-term Democratic mayor Roland S. Vallee.[3] Mongan's victory was regarded to be an upset.[52]

In the initial count, Mongan won by a merely 37 vote margin, and Vallee requested a recount.[53] After the recount, Mongan's margin of victory increased to 51 votes. Vallee conceded. After the recount, mayor-elect Mongan did admit that he believed that there had been balloting irregularities, but also stated the did not want to "burden the taypayers with the cost of another recount".[54]

Vallee's loss was attributed to allegations that he had manipulated lower tax assessments on his own buildings.[55]

Mongan and Vallee had previously faced each other four years earlier in the 1963 mayoral race.[3]

1969 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election

November 4, 1969

Candidate Harry Pariseau Roland S. Vallee Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 19,875 11,202 Percentage 63.95% 36.05%

Mayor before election John C. Mongan Republican Elected Mayor Harry Pariseau Republican

The 1969 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election was held on November 4, 1969, to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. It saw the election of Republican Harry Pariseau, defeating Democratic nominee Roland S. Vallee (a former mayor of the city). Incumbent Republican mayor John C. Mongan had lost renomination to Pariseau in the Republican primary.

1971 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election

November 2, 1971

Candidate Sylvio Dupuis Frank Wageman Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 16,260 15,859 Percentage 50.62% 49.38%

Mayor before election Charles R. Stanton Democratic Elected Mayor Sylvio Dupuis Democratic

The 1971 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election was held on November 2, 1971,[59] to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. It saw the election of Democratic nominee Sylvio Dupuis, who defeated Republican alderman Frank Wageman.

Incumbent mayor Charles R. Stanton, who had been appointed by the city's Board of Aldermen after the death in office of Harry Pariseau, did not seek to a full term.[59]

1973 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election

November 6, 1973

Candidate Sylvio Dupuis Frank Wageman Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 19,874 2,657 Percentage 88.21% 11.79%

Mayor before election Sylvio Dupuis Democratic Elected Mayor Sylvio Dupuis Democratic

The 1973 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election was held on November 6, 1973,[62] to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. It saw the reelection of incumbent Democrat Sylvio Dupuis, who defeated Republican nominee Norman Gauthier in a landslide victory.

1975 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election

November 4, 1975

Candidate Charles R. Stanton George Lacourse Lloyd Basinow Party Democratic Republican Independent Popular vote 15,044 2,465 2,232 Percentage 76.21% 12.49% 11.31%

Mayor before election Charles R. Stanton Democratic Elected Mayor Charles R. Stanton Democratic

The 1975 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election was held on November 4, 1975,[64] to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. It saw the election of Democratic incumbent Charles R. Stanton, who had been appointed mayor after the resignation of Sylvio Dupuis.[5][64] Stanton defeated Republican nominee George Lacourse and independent candidate Lloyd Basinow in a landslide victory.

1977 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election

November 8, 1977

Candidate Charles R. Stanton Richard Jacobs Party Democratic Republican

Mayor before election Charles R. Stanton Democratic Elected Mayor Charles R. Stanton Democratic

The 1977 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election was held on November 8, 1977, to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. It saw the reelection of Democratic incumbent Charles R. Stanton, who defeated Republican nominee Richard Jacobs. Stanton won by a 3–1 margin of victory.[65]

Jacobs alleged that Stanton and his mayoral administration were guilty of wrongdoing. This argument was undercut days prior to the election when New Hampshire attorney general David Souter disclosed that an investigation had failed to find any criminal activity.[66]

1979 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election

November 6, 1979

Candidate Charles R. Stanton Henry Naro Party Democratic Republican

Mayor before election Charles R. Stanton Democratic Elected Mayor Charles R. Stanton Democratic

The 1979 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election was held on November 6, 1979,[67] to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. It saw the reelection of Democratic incumbent Charles R. Stanton to a third consecutive full term (he had also previously served two partial terms). Stanton defeated New Hampshire state representative Henry Naro Republican nominee.[5][3][67]

The city was considered a Democratic stronghold.[67]

Among those who had unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination was Robert F. Shaw.[68]

1981 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election

November 3, 1981
Turnout	59.88%
Candidate Emile Beaulieu Richard Jacobs Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 13,429 9,662 Percentage 56.35% 40.54%
Mayor before election Charles R. Stanton Democratic Elected Mayor Emile Beaulieu Democratic

The 1981 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election was held on November 3, 1981, to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. The election was won by city welfare commissioner Emile Beaulieu, the Democratic nominee. Beaulieu defeated publishing executive Richard Jacobs, the Republican nominee. Turnout in the election was significantly higher than recent preceding elections.[69]

While Democrats outnumbered Republicans in the city by a 2–1 margin, in the previous year's presidential election, the Republican ticket of Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush had managed to outperform the Democratic ticket of Jimmy Carter and Walter Mondale by a 2–1 margin in the city.[70]

In addition to retaining the mayoralty, Democrats also increased their majority on the city's Board of Aldermen by a seat, now holding 9 out of the 12 seats on the board.[69]

1983 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election

November 8, 1983

Candidate Robert F. Shaw Charles R. Stanton Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 53% 47%

Mayor before election Emile Beaulieu Democratic Elected Mayor Robert F. Shaw Republican

The 1983 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election was held on November 8, 1983, to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. It saw the election of Republican nominee Robert F. Shaw, who unseated first-term Democratic incumbent Emile Beaulieu by a roughly 1,400 vote margin (53% to 47%).[71] Shaw's win was considered to be a surprise upset victory.[71][68] Shaw was the first Republican to be elected mayor in the city in twelve years.[71]

Shaw managed to perform strongly in wards of the city the traditionally voted Democratic.[68] He centered his campaign on attacking Beaulieu's spending record.[68] Shaw was a gas station owner with no prior experience in public office.[70] He had previously run unsuccessfully for the Democratic mayoral nomination in 1979.[68]

Before the election, Beaulieu had been perceived as a popular incumbent. Many of the candidates running in the 1984 Democratic Party presidential primaries had been courting his endorsement, with several of their campaigns even having their staff support Bealieu's reelection effort by holding signs outside polling places on election day. Presidential contender Gary Hart even went as far as to attend Beaulieu's election night party.[70]

1985 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election

November 5, 1985

Candidate Robert F. Shaw Peter Poirier Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 11,847 8,028 Percentage 59.61% 40.39%

Mayor before election Robert F. Shaw Republican Elected Mayor Robert F. Shaw Republican

The 1985 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election was held on November 5, 1985,[72] to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. It saw the reelection of Republican incumbent Robert F. Shaw, who defeated Democratic nominee Peter Poirier. The election was considered to have had good voter turnout.[72]

While, in its lead up, the election had failed to garner much attention from local voters, the election was treated by the state's Democratic Party as a paramount contest. In 1984, New Hampshire had seen the Democratic Party have what was considered its worst statewide election performance since at least the year 1900, with Republicans sweeping all of the top offices (winning the governorship, both United States House of Representatives seats, a United States Senate seat, and all five seats on the Executive Council), and with Republicans also winning the largest majority their party had won in the New Hampshire House of Representatives since 1900.[73] At the time, some political analysts even predicted the state might be trending away from being a swing state, and instead towards being a state dominated by the Republican party. With the Democratic Party hoping to stage a comeback in the state, they wanted a win in the state's largest city, which could at least act as a morale boost to the state's Democratic faithful. The Democrats promoted the race as the prospective launching pad for their comeback in the state. Quite unusually for a local election, the state party fundraised for it.[73] Poirier himself portrayed his performance in the election as "vitally important" to the state's Democratic Party.[74] In late October, Michael Kranish of the Boston Globe wrote, "While a Democratic victory in this blue-collar city would hardly sway the political winds in the rest of the state, it would at least be a psychological boost for the party faithful. There are even those who fear a Democratic Party defeat might damage the party beyond repair."[73]

State Democratic leadership was not alone in putting value on the election, with state Republican leaders also putting value on it, including having governor John Sununu hold a fundraiser for Shaw's reelection campaign.[73] John Burns, the executive director of the Republican Party of New Hampshire, publicly admitted that he believed, "it would be a setback of sorts if we lost the race."[74]

At the time of the election, the city's electorate was strongly Democratic by registration, with roughly 24,000 registered Democrats, 13,000 registered Republicans, and 13,000 independents. The city had, before to Shaw's 1983 victory, been considered reliable territory for Democrats to win the mayoralty.[73]

In addition to being the incumbent mayor, Shaw was the owner of a gas station.[74] Poirier was a teacher and basketball coach of twenty years who had never before held public office. He had previously run unsuccessfully for the New Hampshire Executive Council (which his own father had once been a member of).[74] In his unsuccessful bid for the state's Executive Council, he had managed to carry the vote of the city of Manchester.[74]

During the general election, both candidates stated they were anticipating a close race.[74]

During the general election, both candidates made criticisms and negative accusations of their opponent in media advertisements.[74] Poirier portrayed Shaw as being an ill-tempered autocrat that intended on increasing property taxes without making improvements to city services.[74] In the final week of the campaign, Shaw ran a full-page newspaper advertisement which accused Shaw of using his office to secure a $100,000 profit in a real estate deal. Shaw accused Poirier of practicing "slime" politics with this attack, and said he would sue him for it.[72]

In an inverse of the traditional positions seen in New Hampshire elections at the time, in this election the Republican was in support of a hike in property taxes while the Democrat pledged against making any tax increase.[73] While Shaw had made a 1983 pledge not to raise taxes, he supported a tax increase in 1985, saying, "I could not in good conscience produce a political budget just to win this election."[74]

1987 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election

November 3, 1987

Candidate Emile Beaulieu Raymond Wieczorek Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 10,194 9,835 Percentage 50.90% 49.10%

Mayor before election Robert F. Shaw Republican Elected Mayor Emile Beaulieu Democratic

The 1987 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election was held on November 2, 1971,[59] to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. It saw voters return former mayor Emile Beaulieu, a Democrat, to office for a second nonconsecutive term. Beaulieu narrowly defeated Republican nominee Raymond Wieczorek by a margin of 359 votes.

Two-term incumbent Republican mayor Robert F. Shaw declined to seek reelection to instead focus on his candidacy for the Republican nomination in the 1988 New Hampshire gubernatorial election.[76]

1989 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election

November 7, 1989

Candidate Raymond Wieczorek Emile Beaulieu Fernand Gelinas Party Republican Democratic Independent

Mayor before election Emile Beaulieu Democratic Elected Mayor Raymond Wieczorek Republican

The 1989 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election was held on November 7, 1989, to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. It saw the election of Republican nominee Raymond Wieczorek, who unseated Democratic incumbent Emile Beaulieu by margin of 1,639 votes. The election was a rematch of the 1987 contest between the two. Additionally, Fernand Gelinas ran as an independent candidate.

1991 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election

November 5, 1991

Candidate Raymond Wieczorek John J. McDonough Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 12,960 7,542 Percentage 63.21% 36.79%

Mayor before election Raymond Wieczorek Republican Elected Mayor Raymond Wieczorek Republican

The 1991 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election was held on November 5, 1991,[87] to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. It saw the reelection of Republican incumbent Raymond Wieczorek, who won a landslide victory over Hillsborough County commissioner John J. McDonough, who was the Democratic nominee.

General election

The impacts of the early 1990s recession on the city were seen as being a drag on Weiczorek's reelection hopes. Accordingly, McDonough attacked Weizcorek on the economic downturn in the city.[89] While Weiczorek claimed to have made some economic progress, McDonnough claimed this was untrue.[90]

Both candidates had signed an agreement not to use negative campaign tactics. When McDonough's camapign both accused Wieczorek of having "lied to the voters" and ran an ad which accused Weiczorek of pushing to delay the distribution of tax bills until after election day to aid his reelection chances (which Weiczorek refuted as being a "blatant lie"), Wieczorek registered a complaint with the League of Women Voters, accusing McDonough of having violated this agreement.[89] McDonough denied that he was engaging in negative campaigning.[89]

Weiczorek admitted to his failure to actualize his plan to cut the city budget and identify cost savings had been unsuccessful, but defended himself by saying, "I certainly tried through." He characterized the budget he had been left by his Democratic predecessor Emile Beaulieu as having been a "political one" with sizeable gaps in spending that required resolving, and with labor contracts he lacked the power to change without the consent of the Democratic-majority Board of Aldermen.[89][90]

Weiczorek pledged to provide more police protection to areas suffering from crime.[90] He also took credit for increasing the size of the police force by 17 officers. McDonough called into question whether that was an accurate number.[89] McDonough laid blame for an increase in crime with Wieczorek.[91]

Weiczorek credited himself for the construction of the city's NYNEX building (right)

Weiczorek claimed responsibility for helping convince some employers to remain in the city's downtown, and gave himself credit for the construction of a new industrial park and of the 20-floor NYNEX office building being constructed in the city. McDonough, however, asserted that the mayor did not have anything to do with the NYNEX building, and instead argued that the credit lied with Wieczorek's Democratic predecessor.[89][90] Wieczorek pledged to keep the city's tax rate stable.[90] McDonough blamed Wieczorek for a rise in city taxes.

Weiczorek proposed a five-year capital plan to fund upgrades and reconstruction of roads, bridges, sewers, and water systems.[90]

McDonough promised to lobby companies to move to the city. His plans included hiring a new coordinator in charge of the recruitment of new business and industry to the city, a job which he said had been vacant for over a year.[89] However, McDonough spent the bulk of his campaign assailing Wieczorek's record, rather than focusing on his own plans for the city.[89] He derided the record of accomplishments that Wieczorek claimed to have as, "phony".[90]

Wieczorek criticized McDonough's record as a county commissioner, including attacking McDonough for supporting a $1.7 million pay increase for employees of the county, and for supporting additions to the county budget which Wieczorek characterized as, "skyrocketing".[90]

Manchester was regarded to be a Democratic Party stronghold.[89]

Weiczorek's reelection was considered to be a landslide victory.[87]

1991 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election results[87]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Raymond Wieczorek (incumbent)	12,960	63.21
	Democratic	John J. McDonough	7,542	36.79
Total votes			20,502	100

1993 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election

November 2, 1993

Candidate Raymond Wieczorek Robert H. Dennis Party Republican Democratic

Mayor before election Raymond Wieczorek Republican Elected Mayor Raymond Wieczorek Republican

The 1993 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election was held on November 2, 1993, to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. It saw the reelection of Republican incumbent Raymond Wieczorek to a third consecutive term. Wieczorek won a landslide 2–1 victory over alderman Robert H. Dennis, who was the Democratic nominee.

1995 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election

November 7, 1995

Nominee Raymond Wieczorek Robert F. Shaw Party Republican Democratic Popular vote Percentage 59.8% 37.7%

Mayor before election Raymond Wieczorek Republican Elected Mayor Raymond Wieczorek Republican

The 1995 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election was held on November 7, 1995,[96] to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. It saw the reelection of incumbent Republican Raymond Wieczorek to a fourth consecutive term.[96] Wieczorek defeated Democratic nominee Robert F. Shaw (who had formerly been a Republican mayor of the city from 1984 through 1987) and Libertarian nominee Robert Howe.[5][4][96]

This was the final partisan mayoral election in the city.[4]

1997 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election

November 4, 1997

Nominee Raymond Wieczorek Robert F. Shaw Party Nonpartisan Nonpartisan Popular vote 12,441 7,821 Percentage 61.40% 38.60%

Mayor before election Raymond Wieczorek Republican Elected Mayor Raymond Wieczorek Republican

The 1997 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election was held on November 4, 1997, to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. It saw the reelection of Raymond Wieczorek to a fifth consecutive term.

The election was the first to be held under new rules in which the election was formally nonpartisan.[4]

Before the general election, a nonpartisan primary election was held in September to determine the two candidates who would appear on the general election ballot.[97] The general and primary elections both coincided with those for the Manchester Board of Aldermen and the city's school board.[97]

Wieczorek and Shaw had also faced each other in the previous election.

1999 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election

November 2, 1999

Nominee Robert A. Baines Raymond Wieczorek Party Nonpartisan Nonpartisan Popular vote 12,159 11,327 Percentage 51.77% 48.23%

Mayor before election Raymond Wieczorek Republican Elected Mayor Robert A. Baines Democratic

The 1999 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election was held on November 2, 1999,[100] to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. It saw the election of Robert A. Baines, who unseated fifth-term incumbent mayor Raymond Wieczorek.

The election was formally nonpartisan.[100]

Before the general election, a nonpartisan primary election was held on September 21, 1999, to determine the two candidates who would appear on the general election ballot.[101] The general and primary elections both coincided with those for the Manchester Board of Aldermen.[100][101] The general election also coincided with the election for welfare commissioner, a school board election. and a ballot question.[100]