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The1938 Los Angeles mayoral recall election took place on September 16, 1938, following therecall of incumbentFrank L. Shaw. Shaw was defeated byFletcher Bowron in the election, making him the first recalled mayor in American history.[1]
Municipal elections in California, including Mayor of Los Angeles, are officially nonpartisan; candidates' party affiliations do not appear on the ballot.[2]
Shaw had been accused of corruption in City Hall which led to a recall movement against him and his close associates. Reformers who opposed Shaw and theLos Angeles Times both agreed that Shaw was "building the largest machine in the city's history," choosingFletcher Bowron, a Judge of theLos Angeles County Superior Court, to run against Shaw.[3][4] The reformers campaigned for Shaw's recall saying that he did not do enough to stop crime and that he had supposedly committed various crimes during his tenure.[5] The recall was approved by voters by a large margin, and Bowron defeated Shaw by a landslide.[6]
| Choice | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
 Yes | 235,395 | 64.65 |
| No | 128,727 | 35.35 |
| Total votes | 364,122 | 100.00 |
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fletcher Bowron | 233,427 | 64.33 | |
| Frank L. Shaw (incumbent) | 122,692 | 33.81 | |
| Alonzo J. Riggs | 4,050 | 1.12 | |
| Albert F. Osterloh | 2,706 | 0.75 | |
| Total votes | 362,875 | 100.00 | |
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