John Patrick Hopkins was the first of nine Irish American Catholic mayors of Chicago.

[2] Hopkins was a close friend and a political ally of Roger Charles Sullivan.

[2] Because his brothers and father died when Hopkins was still young,[5] he became a provider for his family.

This included incidents of political corruption in the city, such as the Ogden Gas Scandal, rampant public gambling that drew the ire of the Chicago Civic Federation, an indecisive response by Hopkins to the Pullman Strike that was assailed by Republican press outlets.

[6][4] Additionally, the misappropriation of significant amounts of campaign contributions by Hopkins had upset many in the Chicago Democratic party, including those who belonged to the party's former Harrison faction.