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County results Morehead: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% 90–100% Saunders: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% 90–100% | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in North Carolina |
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The 1840 North Carolina gubernatorial election was held on August 6, 1840, in order to elect the Governor of North Carolina. Whig nominee and former member of the North Carolina House of Representatives John Motley Morehead defeated Democratic nominee and former Attorney General of North Carolina Romulus M. Saunders. [1]
On election day, August 6, 1840, Whig nominee John Motley Morehead won the election by a margin of 8,581 votes against his opponent Democratic nominee Romulus M. Saunders, thereby retaining Whig control over the office of Governor. Morehead was sworn in as the 29th Governor of North Carolina on January 1, 1841. [2]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whig | John Motley Morehead | 44,484 | 55.33 | |
| Democratic | Romulus M. Saunders | 35,903 | 44.67 | |
| Total votes | 80,387 | 100.00 | ||
| Whig hold | ||||