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| Elections in New York City |
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An election forMayor of New York City was held on November 7, 1854.
Incumbent mayorJacob A. Westervelt was not a candidate for re-election to a second term in office. In a four-way race to succeed him, former U.S. representativeFernando Wood won the first of his three terms in office over American Party nominee James W. Barker, reformist Wilson G. Hunt, and Whig nominee John J. Herrick. Wood was the first mayor elected fromTammany Hall, opening a long period of the society's dominance of Democratic politics in the city.
After his loss toAmbrose Kingsland in the1850 mayoral election, Fernando Wood withdrew from politics to focus on his real estate portfolio and his growing family. The Whig Party collapsed andTammany Hall remained torn among its various factions. Wood began to test the waters for a political return in November 1853, privately organizing againstJohn Van Buren's Free Soil faction and supporting theYoung America Movement. He was elected a committeeman by the Nineteenth Ward Democratic Committee once again.[1]
In early 1854, theKansas-Nebraska Act further scrambled city politics, alienating the Free Soil Democrats and bringing the Hard Shell and Soft Shell factions in closer alliance. In response, Wood planned a rally to celebrateStephen Douglas andFranklin Pierce and denounce John Van Buren and his Free Soil Democrats, presenting the image of a party unified in its condemnation of the Free Soilers.[1]
Wood further cultivated his political image by siding with GovernorHoratio Seymour in his veto of an alcohol prohibition bill, though he grounded his support in opposition to the regulation of private behavior, drawing a comparison between alcohol consumption and slavery. Perhaps most conniving of all, he secretly accepted a place on the Know-Nothing executive committee, despite his long standing political support among the New York immigrant community and his support for immigrant causes.[1][2]
Wood won both the Soft and Hard nominations for mayor easily, though a faction of extreme Hards formed yet another ticket and nominated Wilson G. Hunt, a cloth merchant and philanthropist with ties toPeter Cooper.[1]
Running with the support of both major Democratic factions against a divided field, Wood had a strong advantage. However, his campaign was nearly upended when several Know-Nothings filed affidavits disclosing his membership in their committee. Wood denied the accusation and threatened to sue for libel.[1]
On November 8, Wood was electedmayor of New York City with only 33.6% of the vote. The Know-Nothing nominee James W. Barker received 31% and Hunt received 25.8%. Despite the revelation of his Know-Nothingism, Wood's strongest support came from immigrant and low-income wards which would form the backbone of Tammany support for the next century.[3]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Fernando Wood (incumbent) | 20,003 | 33.54% | |
| Know Nothing | James W. Barker | 18,547 | 31.10% | |
| Independent Democratic | Wilson G. Hunt | 15,397 | 25.82% | |
| Whig | John J. Herrick | 5,696 | 9.55% | |
| Total votes | 59,643 | 100.00% | ||
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