1905 San Diego mayoral election

1905 San Diego mayoral election

April 4, 1905 (1905-04-04)

Nominee John L. Sehon Dan F. Jones Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 2,018 1,376 Percentage 52.7% 35.9%

Mayor before election Frank P. Frary Republican Elected mayor John L. Sehon Democratic

The 1905 San Diego mayoral election was held on April 4, 1905, to elect the mayor of San Diego. John L. Sehon was elected mayor with a majority of the votes.

Candidates

• John L. Sehon, retired army captain and member of the San Diego City Council^[1]
• Dan F. Jones, president of the San Diego City Council^[2]
• W.J. Kirkwood^[1]

Campaign

Incumbent Mayor Frank P. Frary declined to run for reelection. Three candidates campaigned for the open seat: Dan Jones, a Republican, John L. Sehon, a Democrat running on the Non-Partisan ticket, and W.J. Kirkwood, a Socialist.^[1]

On April 4, 1905, Sehon was elected mayor with a majority of 52.7 percent of the vote. Jones came in second with 35.9 percent of the vote. Kirkwood came in third with 11.3 percent.^[3][1]

During the campaign, it was questioned whether a retired army officer such as Sehon was eligible for civil office. Fearing that his opponents would attempt to lock him out of office, Sehon broke into City Hall in the middle of the night of the first day of his term to forcibly take possession of the office of the mayor.^[1]

Election results

San Diego mayoral election, 1905^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	John L. Sehon	2,018	52.7
	Republican	Dan F. Jones	1,376	35.9
	Socialist	W.J. Kirkwood	438	11.3
Total votes			3,832	100

References

1. Smythe, William Ellsworth (1908). History of San Diego, 1542-1908. San Diego: The History Company. Retrieved March 18, 2017.
2. "Dan F. Jones". The Evening Tribune. March 2, 1905. Retrieved March 19, 2017.
3. "Election History - Mayor of San Diego" (PDF). City of San Diego. Retrieved March 19, 2017.