1853 Wisconsin gubernatorial election

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1853 Wisconsin gubernatorial election
  1851 November 8, 1853 1855  
  William A Barstow by William F Cogswell, c1850s.jpg EdwardDwightHolton.png Henry S. Baird.jpg
Nominee William A. Barstow Edward D. Holton Henry S. Baird
Party Democratic Independent Whig
Popular vote30,40521,8863,304
Percentage54.60%39.30%5.93%

1853 Wisconsin gubernatorial election results map by county.svg
County results
Barstow:     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%
Holton:     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%
Baird:     40–50%     50–60%

Governor before election

Leonard J. Farwell
Whig

Elected Governor

William A. Barstow
Democratic

The 1853 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 1853. Democratic candidate William A. Barstow won the election with 55% of the vote, winning his first term as Governor of Wisconsin. Barstow defeated Free Soil Party candidate Edward D. Holton and Whig candidate Henry S. Baird. [1] This would be the last Wisconsin gubernatorial election in which there was a Whig candidate on the ballot.

Contents

This was the last election until 1932 in which Adams County and Bad Ax (Vernon) County voted for a Democrat. Additionally, Columbia County would not vote Democratic again until 1924, nor would Green County, Portage County, and Sauk County until 1890.

Nominations

Democratic party

William A. Barstow was a resident of Waukesha County, and had previously served as Wisconsin's Secretary of State. Before Wisconsin became a state, he was instrumental in creating Waukesha County from what had been the western half of Milwaukee County.

The Wisconsin Democratic Party Convention was held in Janesville in September 1853. Barstow did not intend to seek the nomination for Governor, and, in fact, was supporting A. Hyatt Smith for the nomination. Nevertheless, Barstow's popularity resulted in him receiving five votes on the first ballot, and after Smith deadlocked with Jairus C. Fairchild for seven ballots, Smith withdrew his name and instead endorsed Barstow. Barstow received the nomination on the 13th ballot. [2] [3]

Other candidates

Whig party

Henry S. Baird was a resident of Green Bay, and was said to be the first practicing lawyer in the Wisconsin Territory. He had served as Attorney General of the Wisconsin Territory, appointed by Territorial Governor Henry Dodge, and served on the Territorial Council. He was a delegate to Wisconsin's first Constitutional Convention.

Independent

Edward D. Holton was a resident of Milwaukee. He was a businessman and banker, interested in building a railroad to stretch from Milwaukee to the Mississippi River. He was an avowed abolitionist, first as a member of the Liberty Party, and then its successor the Free Soil Party. He was also a supporter of temperance legislation in Wisconsin. The state ticket he headed in 1853 was referred to as the "People's Ticket" and stood in general opposition to the Democratic ticket. [4]

Results

1853 Wisconsin gubernatorial election [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Democratic William A. Barstow 30,405 54.60% +5.24%
Independent Edward D. Holton 21,88639.31%
Whig Henry S. Baird 3,3045.93%−44.57%
Scattering880.16%
Majority8,51915.30%
Total votes55,683 100.00%
Democratic gain from Whig Swing +16.45%

Results by county

County [5] William A. Barstow
Democratic
Edward D. Holton
Independent
Henry S. Baird
Whig
Scattering
Write-in
MarginTotal votes cast
# %# %# %# %# %
Adams 12251.91%3816.17%5724.26%187.66%65 [lower-alpha 1] 27.66%235
Bad Ax 20871.23%72.40%7726.37%00.00%131 [lower-alpha 1] 44.86%292
Brown 25440.06%335.21%33452.68%132.05%-80 [lower-alpha 2] -12.62%634
Calumet 25057.74%9020.79%9321.48%00.00%157 [lower-alpha 1] 36.26%433
Columbia 81647.22%70640.86%20611.92%00.00%1106.37%1,728
Crawford 11869.01%2414.04%2916.96%00.00%89 [lower-alpha 1] 52.05%171
Dane 1,62053.17%1,23440.50%1775.81%160.53%38612.67%3,047
Dodge 1,99257.89%1,41841.21%310.90%00.00%57416.68%3,441
Fond du Lac 1,48954.01%1,21744.14%511.85%00.00%2729.87%2,757
Grant 98844.73%1,02646.45%1958.83%00.00%-38-1.72%2,209
Green 76946.05%74844.79%1539.16%00.00%211.26%1,670
Iowa 40245.68%46452.73%141.59%00.00%-62-7.05%880
Jackson 11388.98%1411.02%00.00%00.00%9977.95%127
Jefferson 1,49046.71%1,59149.87%1083.39%10.03%-101-3.17%3,190
Kenosha 59041.96%81257.75%40.28%00.00%-222-15.79%1,406
La Crosse 27656.67%15030.80%6112.53%00.00%12625.87%487
La Pointe 3997.50%00.00%12.50%00.00%38 [lower-alpha 1] 95.00%40
Lafayette 1,02659.44%42024.33%28016.22%00.00%60635.11%1,726
Manitowoc 85488.22%464.75%676.92%10.10%787 [lower-alpha 1] 81.30%968
Marathon 20549.16%40.96%20849.88%00.00%-3 [lower-alpha 2] -0.72%417
Marquette 64142.53%85256.54%140.93%00.00%-211-14.00%1,507
Milwaukee 4,18475.20%1,33423.98%240.43%220.40%2,85051.22%5,564
Oconto 9042.86%00.00%12057.14%00.00%-30 [lower-alpha 2] -14.29%210
Outagamie 26754.38%20641.96%183.67%00.00%6114.29%491
Ozaukee 1,15586.58%17913.42%00.00%00.00%97673.16%1,334
Pierce 7167.62%00.00%3432.38%00.00%37 [lower-alpha 1] 35.24%105
Portage 36763.49%569.69%15426.64%10.17%213 [lower-alpha 1] 36.85%578
Racine 1,23950.39%1,21449.37%60.24%00.00%251.02%2,459
Richland 18556.92%12739.08%134.00%00.00%5817.85%325
Rock 1,37538.80%1,83251.69%3379.51%00.00%-457-12.90%3,544
Sauk 64154.74%47240.31%554.70%30.26%16914.43%1,171
Sheboygan 1,38967.07%67632.64%40.19%20.10%71334.43%2,071
Walworth 1,06237.28%1,58455.60%2037.13%00.00%-522-18.32%2,849
Washington 1,46282.46%31017.48%00.00%10.06%1,15264.97%1,773
Waukesha 1,59448.84%1,61049.33%541.65%60.18%-16-0.49%3,264
Waupaca 21751.79%15236.28%5011.93%00.00%6515.51%419
Waushara 13536.68%23263.04%10.27%00.00%-97-26.36%368
Winnebago 71039.60%1,00856.22%713.96%40.22%-298-16.62%1,793
Total30,40554.60%21,88639.30%3,3045.93%880.16%8,51915.30%55,683

Counties that flipped from Whig to Democratic

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Whig

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Independent

Counties that flipped from Whig to Independent

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Barstow's margin over Baird
  2. 1 2 3 Baird's margin over Barstow

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References

  1. Joint Committee on Legislative Organization, Wisconsin Legislature (2015). Wisconsin Blue Book 2015-2016. Madison, Wisconsin: Wisconsin Department of Administration. pp. 699–701. ISBN   978-0-9752820-7-6.
  2. "State Ticket". River Times. Fort Winnebago, Wisconsin. September 17, 1853. p. 2. Retrieved June 1, 2020 via Newspapers.com.
  3. "Democratic State Convention". River Times. Fort Winnebago, Wisconsin. September 17, 1853. pp. 1–2. Retrieved June 1, 2020 via Newspapers.com.
  4. "People's Ticket for State Officers". Kenosha Telegraph. Kenosha, Wisconsin. November 4, 1853. p. 2. Retrieved August 20, 2024 via Chronicling America.
  5. 1 2 Wisconsin Historical Society, A Tabular Statement showing the number of votes cast for State Officers and upon the Prohibitory Liquor Law at the general election held in the State of Wisconsin on the tuesday next succeeding the first monday being the 8th day, of November A.D. 1853