Editing Jimmy Walker (section)

==Mayor, 1926–1932==
[[File:James Walker Lenore Ulric CM629.jpg|thumb|Walker throwing a [[ceremonial first pitch]] at a baseball game, c. 1929]]
In his initial years as mayor, Walker saw the city prosper and many public works projects gain traction. In his first year, Walker created the [[New York City Department of Sanitation|Department of Sanitation]], unified New York's public hospitals, improved many parks and playgrounds, and guided the [[New York City Board of Transportation|Board of Transportation]] to enter into contract for the construction of an expanded [[New York City Subway|subway system]] (the [[Independent Subway System]] or IND). Under Walker's administration, new highways and a dock for superliners were also built.<ref>{{cite book|last=Allen|first=Oliver E.|title=The Tiger: The Rise and Fall of Tammany Hall|date=1993|publisher=Addison-Wesley Publishing Company|page=[https://archive.org/details/tigerrisefalloft00alle/page/237 237]|isbn=0-201-62463-X|url=https://archive.org/details/tigerrisefalloft00alle/page/237|url-access=registration}}</ref> He even managed to maintain the five-cent subway fare despite a threatened strike by the workers.<ref name=Young />

Walker's term was also known for the proliferation of speakeasies during Prohibition. It is a noted aspect of his career as mayor and as a member of the State Senate that Walker was strongly opposed to Prohibition. As mayor, Walker led his administration in challenging the [[Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution|Eighteenth Amendment]] by replacing the [[Police Commissioner of the City of New York|police commissioner]] with an inexperienced former state banking commissioner. The new police commissioner immediately dissolved the Special Service Squad. Since Walker did not feel that drinking was a crime, he discouraged the police from enforcing Prohibition law or taking an active role unless it was to curb excessive violations or would prove to be newsworthy.<ref>Michael Lerner, ''Dry Manhattan'' (2008). pp. 160–70</ref> His affairs with "chorus girls" were widely known, and he left his wife, Janet, for showgirl [[Betty Compton]]. The first U.S. arrival in New York City of the best known [[Anastasia Romanov]] impostor, [[Anna Anderson]], in 1928 and the eventual public denial of her by the exiled [[Romanov]]s and return to Germany in 1931 also occurred during Walker's mayoralty.

[[File:Former New York Mayor and Mrs. Walker, callers at White House. Washington, D.C., July 19. "I wouldn't accept the Democratic nomination for Mayor of New York City for anything", former Mayor LCCN2016877962 (1).jpg|thumb|Walker and his second wife, [[Betty Compton]], at the [[White House]] in 1937]]

Walker was re-elected by an overwhelming margin in 1929, defeating Republican [[Fiorello La Guardia|Fiorello H. La Guardia]] and [[Socialist Party of America|Socialist]] [[Norman Thomas]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Our Campaigns - New York City Mayor Race - Nov 05, 1929|url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=79429|access-date=2021-12-06|website=www.ourcampaigns.com}}</ref> Walker's fortunes turned downward with the economy after the [[Wall Street Crash of 1929|stock-market crash of 1929]]. [[Patrick Joseph Hayes]], the Cardinal Archbishop of New York, denounced him, implying that the immorality of the mayor, both personal and political in tolerating "girlie magazines" and casinos, was a cause of the economic downturn. It was one of the causes that led to Tammany Hall's pulling its support for Walker.<ref name=Jackson>Jackson, Kenneth T., Keller, Lisa; Flood, Nancy, eds. ''The Encyclopedia of New York City'' 2nd ed. Yale University Press, 2010.</ref> Walker's image was further solidified by quotes like "A reformer is a guy who rides through a sewer in a glass-bottomed boat."<ref>Gunther, John, Inside U.S.A., Curtis Publishing Company, 1947, pg. 564</ref>

Walker endorsed [[Al Smith]] for the [[1932 Democratic Party presidential primaries|Democratic nomination]] during the [[1932 United States presidential election|1932 presidential election]].{{sfn|Kessner|1989|p=235}}