Francis Cornwall Sherman Democratic Francis Cornwall Sherman Democratic In the Chicago mayoral election of 1863, Democrat Francis Cornwall Sherman won reelection, defeating National Union (Republican) nominee Thomas Barbour Bryan by an extremely narrow quarter percent margin.

In 1862, Sherman had appointed a committee which recommended that Chicago pass a new city charter which would annex Bridgeport and Holstein, lengthen the terms for mayor, treasurer, collector, city attorney, and clerk of police each from one to two years.

[4] Names presented for balloting at the convention were Bryan, George W. Gage, and William Hoyt.

After an informal ballot, Philip Wadsworth announced to the convention that Gage had authorized the withdrawal of his name, and offered his full support to the selection of Bryan as the party's nominee.

[5] Sherman's candidacy benefited immensely from the support of Irish and German voters from the newly annexed neighborhoods of the city.

[4] Democrats believed the ward would secure Sherman his margin of victory, a prediction which ultimately proved true.