John Austin Keliher (November 6, 1866 – September 21, 1938) was a

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Democratic

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking ...

. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts. He was elected as a Democrat to the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

from

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and served from March 4, 1903, to March 3, 1911. Congressman Keliher was the uncle of Brigadier-General John J. Keliher and Rear Admiral Thomas Joseph Keliher.

Defeats in the 1910 congressional election

In 1910 Keliher lost his bid for reelection, first losing in the Democratic primary, and in the general election as an independent candidate, losing both times to William F. Murray.

Sheriff of Suffolk County

On April 11, 1917, the incumbent sheriff of Suffolk County, "Honest John" Quinn, died from diabetes. On April 18, 1917 Governor McCall submitted Keliher's name to the Executive Council to fill the vacancy. Keliher's appointment was approved by the Executive Council and he was sworn into office on May 3, 1917. On November 6, 1917 Keliher was elected in his own right and re-elected in every election until 1938.

1917 Massachusetts Constitutional Convention

In 1916 the Massachusetts legislature and electorate approved the calling of a Constitutional Convention. In May 1917 Keliher was elected to serve as a member of the convention, representing Massachusetts' 11th Congressional District.

Electoral defeat and death

In September 1938 Keliher ran in the primary for renomination as sheriff of Suffolk County. After the returns showed that he was losing the election, he had a heart attack and died in Boston.

Bibliography

*''Journal of the Constitutional Convention of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (1919) pp. 7–8, 865, 971. *''The Municipal Register for 1918'' City of Boston (1918) p. 110. *''Who's who in State Politics, 1908'' Practical Politics (1908) p. 14.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Keliher, John A. 1866 births 1938 deaths Democratic Party members of the Massachusetts House of Representatives Democratic Party Massachusetts state senators Sheriffs of Suffolk County, Massachusetts Members of the 1917 Massachusetts Constitutional Convention Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Massachusetts