John B. Stanchfield

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Born in Elmira, New York on 30 March 1855, John B. Stanchfield was a prominent litigator and a major figure in New York politics and the Democratic Party (United States) in the late 1800s and early 1900s. He was Mayor of Elmira from 1886-1888 and won election to the New York State Assembly in 1896. He was a partner in the Elmira law firm Reynolds, Stanchfield & Collin (named Sayles & Evans since 1945). He ran as the Democratic candidate for Governor of New York in 1900, losing to Benjamin B. Odell, Jr.. The following year, he lost an election to represent New York in the U.S. Senate to Chauncey Mitchell Depew. He also served as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1904 and 1912 and as a delegate to New York State Constitutional Convention in 1915. Stanchfield later became a partner of the New York City law firm Chadbourne, Stanchfield & Levy (now Chadbourne & Parke). He died of kidney failure on 25 June 1921 and is buried in his hometown of Elmira.