This was the first Boston mayoral race with a preliminary election, which was held on Tuesday, September 25, 1951. In November 1949, voters had approved changing the structure of future mayoral contests to include a preliminary election, non-partisan in nature, to select two final candidates in advance of each general election, which would remain non-partisan.[1] It also shifted the years in which elections would be held. The first such election had been set for 1951,[1] meaning that Hynes' previous term was only two years in duration.
Inaugural exercises were held Monday, January 7, 1952.[2]