1855 Ohio gubernatorial election

Last updated

1855 Ohio gubernatorial election
Flag of Ohio.svg
  1853 October 9, 1855 1857  
  Mathew Brady, Portrait of Secretary of the Treasury Salmon P. Chase, officer of the United States government (1860-1865).jpg William Medill at statehouse.jpg Allen Trimble.jpg
Nominee Salmon Chase William Medill Allen Trimble
Party Republican Democratic Know Nothing
Popular vote146,770131,01924,276
Percentage48.59%43.37%8.04%

1855 Ohio gubernatorial election results map by county.svg
County Results

Governor before election

William Medill
Democratic

Elected Governor

Salmon Chase
Republican

The 1855 Ohio gubernatorial election was held on October 9, 1855. Incumbent Democratic Governor of Ohio William Medill became governor after the resignation of Reuben Wood to accept a consulship, and Lt. Governor Medill became elected in his own right in 1853. The 1855 election was one of the first major tests of the fledgling Republican Party, then still a coalition of various anti-slavery forces, including former rival Democrats and Whig members. This election led them to quickly dominate Ohio politics for the next half-century.

Contents

The election is also unique in that it was a contest of three Governors, past, present, and future. With Allen Trimble having served in the 1820s, William Medill serving at the time of the election, and Salmon Chase succeeding Medill. Trimble proved to be somewhat of a spoiler candidate, leaving Chase to win with only a plurality of the votes.

Republican convention

Candidates

Results

1855 Republican convention [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Salmon Chase 225 60.98%
Republican Joseph R. Swan10227.64%
Republican Hiram Griswold4211.38%
Total votes369 100.00%

General election

Results

Ohio gubernatorial election, 1855 [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Republican Salmon Chase 146,770 48.59%
Democratic William Medill (incumbent)131,01943.37%
Know Nothing Allen Trimble24,2768.04%
Majority15,7515.21%
Turnout 302,065
Republican gain from Democratic Swing

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joseph Medill</span> American newspaper editor, publisher, and politician (1823–1899)

Joseph Medill was a Canadian-American newspaper editor, publisher, and Republican Party politician. He was co-owner and managing editor of the Chicago Tribune, and he was Mayor of Chicago from after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 until 1873.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salmon P. Chase</span> Chief justice of the United States from 1864 to 1873

Salmon Portland Chase was an American politician and jurist who served as the sixth chief justice of the United States from 1864 to his death in 1873. Chase served as the 23rd governor of Ohio from 1856 to 1860, represented Ohio in the United States Senate from 1849 to 1855 and again in 1861, and served as the 25th United States Secretary of the Treasury from 1861 to 1864 during the administration of Abraham Lincoln. Chase is therefore one of the few American politicians who have served in all three branches of the federal government, in addition to serving in the highest state-level office. Prior to his Supreme Court appointment, Chase was widely seen as a potential president.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Brough</span> 26th Governor of Ohio

John Brough was a War Democrat politician from Ohio. He served as the 26th governor of Ohio during the final years of the American Civil War, dying in office of gangrene shortly after the war concluded.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Medill</span> 22nd Governor of Ohio

William Medill was a 19th Century American lawyer and Democratic politician from Ohio. He served as the 22nd governor of Ohio from 1853 to 1856. He had previously served two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1839 to 1843.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allen Trimble</span> American politician (1783–1870)

Allen Trimble was a Federalist and National Republican politician from Ohio. He served as the eighth and tenth governor of Ohio, first concurrently as Senate Speaker, later elected twice in his own right.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1860 Republican National Convention</span> United States presidential nominating convention

The 1860 Republican National Convention was a presidential nominating convention that met May 16–18 in Chicago, Illinois. It was held to nominate the Republican Party's candidates for president and vice president in the 1860 election. The convention selected former representative Abraham Lincoln of Illinois for president and Senator Hannibal Hamlin of Maine for vice president.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ohio Republican Party</span> Ohio affiliate of the Republican Party

The Ohio Republican Party is the Ohio affiliate of the Republican Party. It was founded in Columbus, Ohio, in 1854.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1868 Republican National Convention</span> Political convention

The 1868 Republican National Convention of the Republican Party of the United States was held in Crosby's Opera House, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, on May 20 to May 21, 1868. Ulysses S. Grant won the election and became the 18th president of the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1856 Republican National Convention</span> Political nominating convention

The 1856 Republican National Convention was a presidential nominating convention that met from June 17 to June 19, 1856, at Musical Fund Hall at 808 Locust Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was the first national nominating convention of the Republican Party, founded two years earlier in 1854. It was held to nominate the party's candidates for president and vice president in the 1856 election. The convention selected former John C. Frémont, a United States Senator from California, for president, and former Senator William L. Dayton of New Jersey for vice president. The convention also appointed members of the newly established Republican National Committee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Metcalfe (Kentucky politician)</span> American politician

Thomas Metcalfe, also known as Thomas Metcalf or as "Stonehammer", was a U.S. Representative, Senator, and the tenth Governor of Kentucky. He was the first gubernatorial candidate in the state's history to be chosen by a nominating convention rather than a caucus. He was also the first governor of Kentucky who was not a member of the Democratic-Republican Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Francis D. Kimball</span> American politician

Francis D. Kimball was a Republican politician from the state of Ohio. He was Ohio Attorney General in 1856.

Robert Bruce Warden was a Democratic Party jurist in the U.S. state of Ohio who sat on the Ohio Supreme Court for a short time 1854–1855. He also authored biographies of Salmon P. Chase and Stephen A. Douglas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1822 Ohio gubernatorial election</span>

The 1822 Ohio gubernatorial election was held on October 8, 1822. Incumbent Democratic Governor of Ohio William Medill became governor after the resignation of Reuben Wood to accept a Senate seat, leaving Speaker of the Senate Allen Trimble to act as governor. Former Senator, and 1820 gubernatorial challenger Jeremiah Morrow narrowly beat Trimble and former Ohio Supreme Court Justice William Irvin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1824 Ohio gubernatorial election</span>

The 1824 Ohio gubernatorial election was held on October 12, 1824. The election was a rematch of 1822, with only the top two contenders returning. Incumbent Governor Morrow and Speaker of the Senate Trimble, who also served as acting Governor in 1822, both increased their vote share, lacking any other challengers. In this election, the two candidates agreed on the major issues, including support for a public school system and the development of internal improvements.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1964 Kansas gubernatorial election</span> Election for the governorship of the U.S. state of Kansas

The 1964 Kansas gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1964. Republican nominee William H. Avery defeated Democratic nominee Harry G. Wiles with 50.9% of the vote.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1857 Ohio gubernatorial election</span> Election for the governorship of the U.S. state of Ohio

The 1857 Ohio gubernatorial election was held on October 13, 1857. Incumbent Republican Salmon P. Chase defeated Democratic nominee Henry B. Payne with 48.67% of the vote.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1932 Wisconsin gubernatorial election</span> Election

The 1932 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1932. Incumbent Republican Governor Philip La Follette was defeated in the Republican primary, and in the midst of the Great Depression and nationwide voter dissatisfaction with the Republican Party, Democratic nominee Albert G. Schmedeman defeated Republican nominee Walter J. Kohler Sr. and Socialist nominee Frank Metcalfe with 52.48% of the vote. Schmedeman became the first Democrat to win a gubernatorial election in Wisconsin since George Wilbur Peck in 1892. 2 years later, in 1934, La Follette would run for governor again and defeated Schmedeman, this time running with the Progressive Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1853 Ohio gubernatorial election</span> Election for governor of the U.S. state Ohio

The 1853 Ohio gubernatorial election was held on October 11, 1853.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1830 Ohio gubernatorial election</span> US election

The 1830 Ohio gubernatorial election was held on October 12, 1830.

References

  1. Smith, Joseph Patterson (1898). History of the Republican party in Ohio. Chicago: Lewis Publishing Company. p. 36. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
  2. Dubin, Michael J. (2003). United States Gubernatorial Elections, 1776-1860: The Official Results by State and County. Jefferson: McFarland & Company. pp. 211–212. ISBN   9780786414390.