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 Results by County [2] Johnson: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Andrews: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Georgia |
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The 1855 Georgia gubernatorial election was held on 1 October 1855 in order to elect the Governor of Georgia. Democratic nominee and incumbent Governor Herschel V. Johnson was re-elected against Know Nothing (Sam) [a] nominee Garnett Andrews and Temperance nominee B. H. Overby. [3]
By this point, the Constitutional Union Party had effectively dissolved with the loss of Union Democrats, and with the collapse of the Whigs following the passage of the Kansas–Nebraska Act in 1854, most Southern Whigs had joined the nativist American Party (Know Nothing). As one of these people, Garnett Andrews became involved with the Nothing Know party and in 1855, after resigning his seat on the Northern Circuit, became the Know-Nothing (Sam) [a] candidate for the Georgia governorship. He campaigned against unrestricted immigration and against secession. [1] [4]
Around the same time, the Georgia State Temperance Convention met in Atlanta with the aim of getting involved in local politics. Basil Hallam Overby, a lawyer from Atlanta, beat out the son of William H. Crawford for the nomination. [5]
On election day, 1 October 1855, Democratic nominee Herschel V. Johnson won re-election by a margin of 10,778 votes against his foremost opponent Know Nothing (Sam) [a] nominee Garnett Andrews, thereby continuing Democratic control over the office of Governor. Johnson was sworn in for his second term on 9 November 1855. [6]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Herschel V. Johnson (incumbent) | 54,136 | 52.14 | |
| Know Nothing | Garnett Andrews | 43,358 | 41.76 | |
| Temperance | B. H. Overby | 6,331 | 6.10 | |
| Total votes | 103,825 | 100 | ||
The Vermont Republican Party is the affiliate of the Republican Party in Vermont and has been active since its foundation in the 1860s. The party is the second largest in the state behind the Vermont Democratic Party, but ahead of the Vermont Progressive Party. The party historically dominated Vermont politics until the mid-20th century, but was replaced by the Vermont Democratic Party. The party currently has very weak federal electoral power in the state, controlling none of Vermont's federal elected offices. The two statewide offices that the party currently controls are the governorship, held by Phil Scott, and the lieutenant governorship, held by John S. Rodgers.
Ryland Fletcher was an American farmer, politician, the 20th lieutenant governor of Vermont from 1854 to 1856, and then was the 24th governor of Vermont from October 10, 1856, to October 10, 1858.
The American Party, known as the Native American Party before 1855 and colloquially referred to as the Know Nothings, or the Know Nothing Party, was an Old Stock nativist political movement in the United States in the 1850s. Members of the movement were required to say "I know nothing" whenever they were asked about its specifics by outsiders, providing the group with its colloquial name.
The 1854 New York state election was held on November 7, 1854, to elect the governor, the lieutenant governor, a Canal Commissioner and an Inspector of State Prisons, as well as all members of the New York State Assembly.
The 1855 United States Senate election in New York was held on February 6, 1855, by the New York State Legislature to elect a U.S. Senator to represent the State of New York in the United States Senate.
The 1854–55 United States Senate elections were held on various dates in various states. As these U.S. Senate elections were prior to the ratification of the Seventeenth Amendment in 1913, senators were chosen by state legislatures. Senators were elected over a wide range of time throughout 1854 and 1855, and a seat may have been filled months late or remained vacant due to legislative deadlock. In these elections, terms were up for the senators in Class 3.
The 78th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 2 to April 14, 1855, during the first year of Myron H. Clark's governorship, in Albany.
The 1859 California gubernatorial election was held on September 7, 1859, to elect the governor of California.
The 1854 Massachusetts gubernatorial election was held on November 15. American Party candidate Henry J. Gardner was elected to his first term as governor, defeating incumbent Whig governor Emory Washburn.
The 1855 Connecticut gubernatorial election was held on April 2, 1855. Former state legislator and American Party nominee William T. Minor defeated former congressman and Democratic nominee Samuel Ingham and incumbent governor and Whig nominee Henry Dutton with 43.51% of the vote.
The 1856 Massachusetts gubernatorial election on November 4. Incumbent Know-Nothing governor Henry J. Gardner was re-elected to a third term. He benefited greatly from a deal with the state's new Republican Party, which agreed not to field a candidate in exchange for Gardner's support of presidential nominee John C. Frémont. With no serious challenger in the field against him, Gardner easily defeated Democrat Erasmus Beach and George W. Gordon, an American Party member running in support of the national ticket.
The 1854 Vermont gubernatorial election for governor of Vermont took place on September 5. The Whig nominee was Stephen Royce, former Chief Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court. The Democratic nominee was Merritt Clark, and Lawrence Brainerd ran as the nominee of the Free Soil Party even as he was one of the organizers of the new anti-slavery Republican Party and appeared as a Whig candidate for the Vermont Senate on the ballot in Franklin County. Whig William C. Kittredge was nominated for governor against his wishes by advocates of the Temperance movement and Democrat Horatio Needham also attracted the support of some Free Soil advocates.
The 1855 Vermont gubernatorial election for governor of Vermont was held on September 4. With the Whig Party defunct after 1854, incumbent Stephen Royce, who had run with the support of both Whigs and the new Republican Party in 1854, ran as the nominee of the Republicans. The Democratic candidate was Merritt Clark, who had run unsuccessfully against Royce in 1854. James M. Slade, the Clerk of the Vermont House of Representatives was the nominee of the Know Nothing Party, also called the American Party.
The 1853–54 Massachusetts gubernatorial election consisted of an initial popular held on November 14, 1853, which was followed by a legislative vote that was conducted on January 9, 1854, which elected Whig Party nominee Emory Washburn. The ultimate task of electing the governor had been placed before the Massachusetts General Court because no candidate received the majority of the vote required for a candidate to be elected through the popular election.
The 1838 Massachusetts gubernatorial election was held on November 12.
The 1853 Georgia gubernatorial election was held on 3 October 1853 in order to elect the Governor of Georgia. Democratic nominee and former United States Senator from Georgia Herschel V. Johnson defeated Constitutional Union nominee and former Attorney General of Georgia Charles J. Jenkins by a slim margin.
The 1857 Tennessee gubernatorial election was held on August 6, 1857, to elect the next governor of Tennessee. Incumbent Democratic governor Andrew Johnson, was seriously injured in a train accident and was unable to run for re-election. Democrat Robert H. Hatton was nominated as his replacement. In the general election, Hatton ran for a full term and defeated Know Nothing candidate Robert H. Hatton with 54.34% of the vote.
The 1857 Georgia gubernatorial election was held on October 5, 1857, in order to elect the Governor of Georgia. Democratic nominee and state circuit court judge Joseph E. Brown defeated Know Nothing (Sam) nominee and State legislator Benjamin Harvey Hill.
The 1855 New Hampshire gubernatorial election was held on 13 March 1855 in order to elect the governor of New Hampshire. Know Nothing nominee and former member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives Ralph Metcalf defeated incumbent Democratic governor Nathaniel B. Baker, Whig nominee and former member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives James Bell and Free Soil Party nominee Asa Fowler.
The 1854 Maine gubernatorial election was held on 11 September 1854 in order to elect the Governor of Maine. Know Nothing nominee Anson Morrill defeated Democratic nominee and former Governor Albion Parris, Whig nominee and former member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Maine's 4th district Isaac Reed and Liberty Party nominee and former member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Maine's 4th district Shepard Cary. However, as no candidate received a majority of the total votes cast as was required by Maine law, the election was forwarded to the Maine legislature, who chose Morrill as governor.
