1834 Illinois gubernatorial election

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1834 Illinois gubernatorial election
Flag of Illinois.svg
  1830 August 4, 1834 1838  
  Joseph Duncan (cropped).png 3x4.svg 3x4.svg
Nominee Joseph Duncan William Kinney Robert K. McLaughlin
Party Democratic [a] Democratic Democratic
Popular vote17,34910,2294,315
Percentage52.93%31.21%13.16%

1834 Illinois gubernatorial election results map by county (color corrected).svg
County Results


Duncan:     40-50%     50-60%     60-70%     70-80%     80-90%     90-100%
Kinney:     40-50%     50-60%     60-70%     70-80%
McLaughlin:     40-50%     50-60%     60-70%     70-80%     80-90%

Contents

Unknown/No Vote:     

Governor before election

William Lee D. Ewing
Democratic

Elected Governor

Joseph Duncan
Whig [b]

The 1834 Illinois gubernatorial election was the fifth quadrennial election for this office. U.S. Representative Joseph Duncan was elected by a majority of the voters. He defeated former Lt. Governor William Kinney and former state treasurer Robert K. McLaughlin.

Duncan was a member of the Democratic Party for most of his early career, but fell out with party leader and President Andrew Jackson during Jackson's first term. [1] He did not announce his change in party affiliation publicly, allowing his votes against Jackson in Congress to relay the message, but news of Duncan's change in affiliation did not reach most Illinois voters and politicians until after the election, resulting in Duncan's nomination and election as a Democrat. [1]

Duncan did not return to the state from Washington, D.C. until after the election. [1] This was the only election of a Whig Governor in Illinois history, albeit by accident on the part of voters. [1]

Results

1834 gubernatorial election, Illinois
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Democratic Joseph Duncan 17,349 52.93% +52.93%
Democratic William Kinney 10,22931.21%−8.84%
Democratic Robert K. McLaughlin4,31513.16%N/A
Democratic James Adams 8872.71%N/A
Majority 7,12021.72%N/A
Turnout 32,780
Whig gain from Democratic Swing

See also

References

  1. By the time of Duncan's nomination and election, news of his defection to the Whig Party had not yet reached Illinois. As such, Duncan was elected as a Democrat, though he did not take office as one.
  2. Though elected as a Democrat, Duncan's party switch had occurred prior to the election and he took office as a Whig.
  1. 1 2 3 4 Howard, Robert P. (1988). Mostly Good and Competent Men (2nd ed.). Springfield, Illinois: Institute for Public Affairs. pp. 43–46. ISBN   0-938943-15-4.