Monroe Heath Republican Carter Harrison III Democratic In the Chicago mayoral election of 1879, Democrat Carter Harrison III defeated both Republican Abner Wright and socialist Ernst Schmidt in a three-way race.

Two-term incumbent Monroe Heath (who, at the time, was the longest-serving mayor in the city's history) did not run for reelection.

[5] Having first approached Harrison unsuccessfully to run as their nominee,[3] the Socialist Labor Party instead nominated Dr. Ernest Schmidt.

[6] Fresh off of these successes, the Socialist Labor Party fielded a full ticket of candidates for in municipal elections.

[10] However, the South Town Greenbackers had first held their own convention on March 15, where they nominated Perry H. Smith (who was in attendance at the meeting).

[11] Wright, a member of the Chicago Board of Trade, would be criticized for having been an inadequate candidate, lacking in energy, charisma, and appearing overly-calculated.

[2] After the municipal elections, some would blame the Socialist Labor Party for having a spoiler effect, having siphoned away would-be Republican supporters.

[2] The Illinois Staats-Zeitung wrote that, "The socialist have succeeded in deciding the election, to be sure not the advantage of their own candidates, but rather for the Democrats against the Republicans.

[3][16] This echoed rhetoric that Chicago Republicans had espoused sowed at a mass meeting held at Farwell Hall on the eve of the election, which had speeches that focused heavily on concerns about electoral fraud, and frequently referenced the controversies of the 1876 United States presidential election.

[3] Other newspapers such as the Chicago Daily News published editorials criticizing Republicans for making these allegations.