1937 Pittsburgh mayoral election

1937 Pittsburgh mayoral election

November 2, 1937

Nominee Conn Scully Bob Waddell Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 122,329 92,019 Percentage 57.1% 42.9%

Mayor before election Conn Scully Democratic Elected Mayor Conn Scully Democratic

The Mayoral election of 1937 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania was held on Tuesday, November 2, 1937. Incumbent Democrat Conn Scully, the former City Council President who had assumed the executive rank in October 1936, after the resignation of William McNair, was elected to a first full term.

Background

The McNair administration had been shrouded in controversy, including hostile relations between the mayor and both city council and the county bureaucracy, as well as a slow response to the devastating St. Patrick's Day Flood. Scully had been a vocal McNair adversary and was closely connected to David L. Lawrence, the state party chairman and city political leader (who later became mayor); this position saved the mayor's office for Democrats, who had been only recently empowered in the city. The race featured a strong GOP opponent in Bob Waddell, the popular football coach at Carnegie Tech (now Carnegie Mellon University).

Councilman Abe Wolk made the formation of a Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera a major campaign issue for both candidates.

Results

Pittsburgh mayoral election, 1937

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Conn Scully	121,075	56.5
	Independent	Conn Scully	1,043	0.4
	Square Deal	Conn Scully	201	0.0
	Nonpartisan	Conn Scully	10	0.0
	Total	Conn Scully (incumbent)	122,329	57.1
	Republican	Bob Waddell	92,019	42.9
Turnout			214,348
	Democratic hold		Swing

References

• "Republican mayoral candidates through the years". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. November 7, 2007. Retrieved September 18, 2009.

Preceded by 1933

Pittsburgh mayoral election 1937

Succeeded by 1941