On March 13, 1900, the Republican incumbent, Judge Thomas J. Humes (1847-1904) wins re-election as Mayor of Seattle by a landslide. Humes had succeeded William D. Wood (d. 1917) in 1898 when Wood resigned to seek gold in the Klondike. In his first term, Humes opened the town to gold seekers and to the casinos, saloons, and other establishments that catered to them.
Humes' opponent was Will H. Parry (d. 1917), a "dark horse" backed by the Seattle Post-Intelligencer's John L. Wilson (d. 1912). The newspaper criticized Humes' open town policy.
Pursuant to the Freeholders' Charter of 1890 and 1896, the mayor was elected for a two-year term. Elections were held on the Tuesday after the first Monday in March.
Sources:
Richard C. Berner, Seattle 1900-1920: From Boomtown, Urban Turbulence, to Restoration (Seattle: Charles Press, 1991), 33, 34; Seattle City Clerk, "Mayors of the City of Seattle" (http://www.ci.seattle.wa.us/seattle/leg/clerk/mayors.htm).
Note: The middle name and dates of Thomas James Humes were corrected on March 27, 2009.
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