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The1925 Pittsburgh mayoral election was held on Tuesday, 3 November 1925. It resulted in a landslide victory forRepublican candidateCharles H. Kline.
Incumbent Republican mayorWilliam A. Magee's career took a downturn when he broke with state Senator Max G. Leslie, a party boss who had sponsored Magee's candidacy in the previous election. Leslie, determined to prevent the mayor's re-election, pushed for JudgeCharles H. Kline of the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas to succeed Magee. Kline attracted endorsements from other Republican leaders, includingWilliam Larimer Mellon, who along with his uncleAndrew W. Mellon was commonly (if not accurately) credited with controlling Pittsburgh politics. Faced with dwindling party support and a shortage of campaign funds, Magee withdrew from the field.[1]
With Magee out of the running, the Republican primary was just a formality as Kline trounced William L. Smith, principal ofAllegheny High School.
In the general election, Kline trampled his token opposition. His opponents were Smith, who had re-entered the race on Non-Partisan andProhibition tickets, and little-knownDemocrat Carman C. Johnson, a teacher atWestinghouse High School.[2]
The Republican Party also won all seats by an overwhelming margin in the coinciding city council elections.[3]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Charles H. Kline* | 69,831 | 76.6 | |
| Non-Partisan /Prohibition | William L. Smith† | 15,210 | 16.7 | |
| Democratic | Carman C. Johnson | 5,342 | 5.9 | |
| Socialist | William J. Van Essen | 638 | 0.7 | |
| Independent Citizens | Louis G. Karzis | 166 | 0.2 | |
| Total votes | 91,187 | 100.0 | ||
*Kline received 68,469 votes on the Republican ticket and 1,362 votes on the Labor Party slate.
†Smith received 10,745 votes on Non-Partisan and 4,465 votes on Prohibition ballots.
| Preceded by 1921 | Pittsburgh mayoral election 1925 | Succeeded by 1929 |
