Nathan Matthews Jr. is elected mayor of Boston.

Matthews (D), with 32,210 votes, defeats Moody Merrill (R), with 19,957, and others to be elected mayor to the first of four consecutive terms. He now lives at 456 Beacon Street. Matthews was persuaded to run after ward boss Patrick Maguire failed to convince Boston Globe publisher Charles Taylor to become a candidate. A fiscal conservative, he attempts to stop the expansion of city government, improve management, and opposes raising the city’s debt limit. Matthews takes advantage of the recent charter changes to consolidate power in the mayor’s office, improve management, and fight against corruption. John T. Galvin later describes him as “The most astute student of city government to hold the office.”