[11] Their mutual interest was that they both sought to oust political boss Roger Charles Sullivan and his network.

[11] Shortly after he announced his candidacy, he received backing from reformist figures such as alderman John J. Bradley (who would serve as manager of his campaign), William Emmett Dever, Margaret Haley, Clarence Darrow, and Raymond Robins.

[11] Dunne's platform called for improving service and lowering the prices of gas and electricity, nighttime waste collection, universal transfers, the construction of city-owned subways, a consolidation of Chicago and Cook County, and the creation of parks administrations.

[11] He pledged to instill a government which emphasized, "decency towards and fair treatment of the citizen from public officials".

[11] While Dunne's campaign had an invigorated launch, receiving the support many reformist endorsers, most of the press and political professionals still disregarded his prospects.

[11] Graham was a prominent banker from the city's West Side, who was a longtime friend and associate of Sullivan's.

[12] Less than a week after he declared his candidacy, Graham received the formal endorsement of the Democratic Party of Cook County Committee.

[11] In its (biased) coverage, Hearst's Examiner emphasized Graham's connection with Sullivan, who the paper caricatured and portrayed as a villain.

[11] At first, most of his billboards used simple slogans such as "No Graft at the City Hall" and "A Seat for Every Pupil in the Public Schools".

[11] Graham received a celebrity endorsement from world heavyweight boxing champion Jack Johnson.

[11] Dunne, while for much of the race having not been widely covered by the press and largely ignored by his opponents, attacked both Harrison and Graham.

[11] After weeks of the press and both of his opponents largely disregarding him, Dunne's candidacy had begun to gain momentum, and the race began to move in his favor.

In the closing weeks of the race, Dunne had ceased attacks on Graham and Roger Sullivan in his stump speeches.

[14] The initial result was so narrow, with a 1,420 vote margin of victory of Harrison, that Dunne requested a recount.

[11] He ran on a campaign calling for clean and efficient government rooted in "Progressive Republicanism" based on "the value of conservation as applied to municipal affairs as in the relation to state and national interests".

[18][19] Merriam benefited from a reformist sentiment that had been fed by revelations of municipal corruption that he had played a large role in originally uncovering.

"We plan to wage this fight on the theory that public utility corporations should be our servants instead of our masters.

[22] While Merriam was well connected to the "dry" side of the debate over alcohol, as a mayoral candidate he tried to frame his position on the matter as being more about home rule and democracy than an outright support of implementing such laws.

[11] Allegations surfaced that Merriam had been a member of the Hyde Park Protective Association, which was anti saloons and had also earned a strongly anti-African American reputation.

[11] Due to Merriam's strong reformist views, many Republican machine operatives of political boss Lorimer had worked to strengthen Harrison's bid, sabotaging their own party's nominee.

[24] Socialist candidate William E. Rodgriguez pledged that as mayor, he would focus on, “the problems of the working class,” which he stated included, “comfortable and sanitary dwellings at low cost” and “adequate street car service in the working-class districts.”[25] He also pledged to pursue and an efficient health department, fair pay, and for the public schools to be open for public meetings.