1808 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election

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1808 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election
Flag of Pennsylvania.svg
  1805 October 11, 1808 (1808-10-11) 1811  
  SimonSnyder.jpg Rossjamespa.jpg
Nominee Simon Snyder James Ross
Party Democratic-Republican Federalist
Popular vote67,97539,575
Percentage60.9%35.5%

1808 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election results map by county.svg
County Results
Snyder:     50-60%     60-70%     70-80%     80-90%
Ross:     40-50%     50-60%     60-70%

Governor before election

Thomas McKean
Independent

Elected Governor

Simon Snyder
Democratic-Republican

The 1808 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election occurred on October 11, 1808. Incumbent governor Thomas McKean, a former Democratic Republican who had faced impeachment by members of his own party during the prior term, was not a candidate. Democratic-Republican candidate Simon Snyder, former Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives defeated Federalist candidate and former U.S. Senator James Ross to become Governor of Pennsylvania. Snyder, with the aid of a supportive press, campaigned as a "New School Democrat" and attempted to ally himself with James Madison. He painted the former McKean administration as elitist and advocated for popular democracy, governmental intervention in the economy, and infrastructural support for Western Pennsylvania counties.

Results

Pennsylvania gubernatorial election, 1808 [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic-Republican Simon Snyder 67,975 60.93
Federalist James Ross 39,57535.47
Federalist John Spayd*4,0063.59
N/AOthers80.01
Total votes111,564 100.00

*Note: Although Spayd ran as a Federalist, Ross was the only Federalist to carry any counties, as shown on the map.

Related Research Articles

References

  1. "PA Governor General Election". OurCampaigns. Retrieved July 3, 2012.