John J. McGrath
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John J. McGrath | |
---|---|
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 8th district | |
In office March 4, 1933 – March 4, 1939 | |
Preceded by | Arthur M. Free |
Succeeded by | Jack Z. Anderson |
Personal details | |
Born | John Joseph McGrath July 23, 1873 Limerick, Ireland |
Died | August 25, 1951 San Mateo, California, U.S. | (aged 78)
Political party | Democratic |
John Joseph McGrath (July 23, 1872 – August 25, 1951) was an Irish-American politician who served as a U.S. Representative from California for three terms from 1933 to 1939.
Biography
[edit]McGrath was born in Limerick, Ireland, while the country was a part of the United Kingdom. He was educated at the Christian Brothers College in Cork and immigrated to the United States at the age of seventeen, living initially in Chicago. He studied law briefly and worked as a salesman and sales manager for many years, becoming a U.S. citizen in 1896.
In California he served as postmaster of San Mateo from 1916 to 1925, and as a justice of the peace in San Mateo County from 1928 to 1932.
Congress
[edit]In 1932 he was elected to Congress as a Democrat, defeating incumbent Arthur M. Free in the 8th district, which ran from San Mateo County south across Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and Monterey Counties. He served three full terms from 1933 to 1939, but was defeated for re-election in 1938 by Republican Jack Z. Anderson.
Later career and death
[edit]Subsequently, he served as commissioner for immigration and naturalization in San Francisco from 1939 to 1940 before retiring. He died in 1951 in San Mateo.
Electoral history
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | John J. McGrath | 65,455 | 56.9% | |||
Republican | Arthur M. Free (Incumbent) | 49,487 | 43.1% | |||
Total votes | 114,942 | 100.0% | ||||
Democratic gain from Republican |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | John J. McGrath (Incumbent) | 107,325 | 100.0% | |
Democratic hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | John J. McGrath (Incumbent) | 78,557 | 57.6% | |
Republican | Alonzo L. Baker | 57,808 | 43.4% | |
Total votes | 136,365 | 100.0% | ||
Democratic hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Jack Z. Anderson | 84,084 | 55% | |||
Democratic | John J. McGrath (Incumbent) | 68,681 | 45% | |||
Total votes | 152,765 | 100% | ||||
Republican gain from Democratic |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Jack Z. Anderson (Incumbent) | 148,180 | 96.7% | |
Communist | Elizabeth Nichols | 5,186 | 3.3% | |
Democratic | John J. McGrath (write-in) | 37 | 0.1% | |
Total votes | 153,403 | 100.0% | ||
Republican hold |
References
[edit]- United States Congress. "John J. McGrath (id: M000457)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
- 1872 births
- 1951 deaths
- 20th-century American legislators
- 20th-century California politicians
- American justices of the peace
- Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from California
- Irish emigrants to the United States
- People educated at Christian Brothers College, Cork
- People from San Mateo, California
- Politicians from Limerick (city)
- San Francisco Bay Area politicians
- California United States Representative stubs