John Francis Dore (1881-1938) served as Mayor of Seattle twice during the Great Depression. Thousands of people were out of work, and many families had lost their homes, overwhelming the traditional city, county, and private relief agencies. Confidence in the economic and political systems was shaken and Mr. Dore won the mayoral election on March 8, 1932 when he proposed tax cuts and public works programs. He lost his bid for reelection on March 6, 1934, after he alienated the unemployed (by allying himself with business) and city workers (by cutting their pay). Later, he changed his positions and with labor support, won election a second time and served from June 1, 1936-April 18, 1938, when he died of complications from influenza and pneumonia while still in office.
This flier for Mr. Dore's mayoral reelection campaign in 1934 is designed to look like a dollar bill, emphasizing that by cutting taxes during his first term Seattle citizens now had more money to feed their families.
Caption information source: "Dore, John Francis (1881-1938)," by David Wilma, HistoryLink.org Essay 2720.
Additional Information: Digital copy of this item available thanks to funding from a 2016 Institute for Museum and Library Services grant. Metadata updated as part of a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services administered by the Library Services and Technology Act, through the Washington State Library, a division of the Office of the Secretary of State.
