New York state election, 1921

The 1921 New York state election was held on November 8, 1921, to elect a judge of the New York Court of Appeals, as well as all members of the New York State Assembly. Besides, six amendments to the State Constitution were proposed.

History

In 1921, there was only one state officer to be elected statewide: a judge of the Court of Appeals, to succeed Emory A. Chase, who had died on June 25. William S. Andrews, who had been sitting on an additional seat by designation since 1917, was appointed to fill the vacancy until the end of the year.

State conventions had been abolished, and replaced with direct primaries since 1914. Now, a new law permitted state conventions again which the Republicans celebrated and the Democrats repudiated.

The Republican state convention met on September 22 and 23 at Syracuse, New York. U.S. Senator William M. Calder was Permanent Chairman. The incumbent William S. Andrews was nominated for the Court of Appeals unanimously.^[1]

The Democratic state convention met on September 26 at the Hotel Commodore in New York City. Ex-Governor Al Smith was Temporary Chairman until the choice of Harriet May Mills as Permanent Chairman. Ex-Supreme Court Justice Townsend Scudder was nominated for the Court of Appeals unanimously.^[2]

Result

The incumbent Republican judge was re-elected.

1921 state election result

Ticket / Office	Judge of the Court of Appeals
Republican	William S. Andrews	1,146,337
Democratic	Townsend Scudder	1,081,185
Socialist	Hezekiah D. Wilcox[3]	141,153

Obs.:

• "Blank and void" votes: 265,316

Amendments

• The amendment proposing to give civil service preference to war veterans was rejected: 699,679 For and 1,090,418 Against.
• The amendment proposing to increase the salaries of the members of the New York State Legislature from $1,500 to $3,000 was rejected: 556,560 For and 1,027,624 Against.
• The amendment proposing to require a literacy test for voters was accepted: 869,355 For and 632,144 Against.
• The amendment proposing to establish governing bodies in Westchester and Nassau counties was accepted: 655,506 For and 640, 701 Against.
• The amendment proposing to authorize the Legislature to establish children's courts and courts of domestic relations was accepted: 930,929 For and 537,610 Against.
• The amendment proposing to dispose of abandoned lands of the Erie Canal in Rome and Mohawk was accepted.
• The amendment proposing to dispose of abandoned lands of the Erie Canal in Herkimer County was accepted: 781,665 For and 552,994 Against.

Notes

1. ^ NOMINATE ANDREWS in NYT on September 24, 1921
2. ^ DEMOCRATS NAME SCUDDER FOR JUDGE in NYT on September 27, 1921
3. ^ Hezekiah D. Wilcox, of Elmira, ran also for the Court of Appeals in 1916 and 1917; and for Attorney General in 1918

Sources

• The tickets: MANY OFFICES TO BE FILLED ON TUESDAY in NYT on November 6, 1921
• Result in New York City (includes mayoral election): THE CITY VOTE.; Hylan's Plurality 417,986 in NYT on November 10, 1921
• Result: ANDREW'S ELECTED BY 65,152 MAJORITY in NYT on December 16, 1921

See also

New York state elections