1 New York City Elects First Woman Mayor

For the first time in the history of one New York city, they just elected their first woman as a mayor.

According to WNNYTV, Sarah Compo Pierce handily beat opponent Lisa Ruggiero with a vote of 2,402 to 1,018 to become the mayor of Watertown New York. She will replace Mayor Jeff Smith when she’s sworn in in January. This is the first time in the cities history they have elected a woman mayor.

Watertown was settled in 1800 by pioneers from New England after the Revolutionary War:

These pioneers chose this area with the foresight of creating an industrial center, which would draw its power from the mighty Black River. The Black River’s elevation dropped 40 feet in the center of town and 120 feet over 2.5 miles which produced incredible waterpower. The naming of Watertown was after the many waterfalls throughout the river."

Watertown became an incorporated village in 1816 and continued to prosper through the years.

Who Was The First Woman Mayor In New York State?

After Kansas granted women the right to vote in municipal elections in February 1887, Susanna Madora Salter was elected mayor of Argonia, Kansas on April 4th 1887, and became the first female mayor in the United States.

Who was the first woman Mayor for New York State? That honor technically goes to Bessie Moore. She was elected mayor of the village of Candor in 1929. Moore won by write-in vote and refused to take the oath of office. So technically speaking Moore was, but the first to serve office was in 1937. Kathrine Wykle became the mayor of Clyde New York.