1856 Connecticut gubernatorial election

Last updated

1856 Connecticut gubernatorial election
Flag of Connecticut.svg
  1855 April 7, 1856 1857  
  William T. Minor (3x4a).jpg 3x4.svg Gideon Welles cph.3b20114 (3x4a).jpg
Nominee William T. Minor Samuel Ingham Gideon Welles
Party Know Nothing Democratic Republican
Electoral vote135116
Popular vote26,00832,7046,740
Percentage38.99%49.02%10.10%

1856 Connecticut gubernatorial election results map by county.svg
1856 Connecticut gubernatorial election results map by municipality.svg
Municipal results
Ingham:     30–40%     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%
Minor:     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%
Welles:     40–50%

Governor before election

William T. Minor
Know Nothing

Elected Governor

William T. Minor
Know Nothing

The 1856 Connecticut gubernatorial election was held on April 7, 1856. [1] [2] [3] Incumbent governor and American Party nominee William T. Minor defeated former congressman and Democratic nominee Samuel Ingham and former Comptroller of Connecticut and Republican nominee Gideon Welles with 38.99% of the vote.

Contents

In accordance with the national transition from the Second Party System to the Third Party System, this was the first such election in which the Republicans fielded a candidate, the last in which the Know-Nothings would run (and win), and the last in which the Whig Party participated.

Although Ingham won a strong plurality of the vote, he fell just short of a majority. As a result, the Connecticut General Assembly elected the governor, per the state constitution. Minor won the vote over Ingham, 135 to 116, in the General Assembly, and became the governor. This was the second election in which Ingham would receive a plurality of more than 10% and still lose, the first being 1854.

General election

Candidates

Major party candidates

Results

1856 Connecticut gubernatorial election [4]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Democratic Samuel Ingham 32,70449.02%
Know Nothing William T. Minor (incumbent)26,00838.99%
Republican Gideon Welles 6,74010.10%
Whig John A. Rockwell 1,2581.89%
Plurality6,696
Turnout
1856 Connecticut gubernatorial election, contingent General Assembly election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Know Nothing William T. Minor (incumbent) 135 53.78%
Democratic Samuel Ingham 11646.22%
Majority19
Know Nothing hold Swing

Related Research Articles

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 only statewide office that the party currently controls is the governorship, held by Phil Scott.

The following table indicates the party of elected officials in the U.S. state of Connecticut:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">78th New York State Legislature</span> New York state legislative session

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1857 Connecticut gubernatorial election</span>

The 1857 Connecticut gubernatorial election was held on April 6, 1857. Former Lieutenant Governor and Republican nominee Alexander H. Holley defeated former congressman and Democratic nominee Samuel Ingham with 50.44% of the vote.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1855 Connecticut gubernatorial election</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1854 Connecticut gubernatorial election</span>

The 1854 Connecticut gubernatorial election was held on April 3, 1854. Former state legislator and Whig Party nominee Henry Dutton defeated former congressman and Democratic nominee Samuel Ingham and former congressman Charles Chapman with 31.89% of the vote.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1851 Connecticut gubernatorial election</span>

The 1851 Connecticut gubernatorial election was held on April 7, 1851. It was a rematch of the 1850 Connecticut gubernatorial election. Incumbent governor and Democratic Party nominee Thomas H. Seymour defeated former state legislator and Whig nominee Lafayette S. Foster with 48.94% of the vote.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1850 Connecticut gubernatorial election</span>

The 1850 Connecticut gubernatorial election was held on April 1, 1850. Former congressman and Democratic Party nominee Thomas H. Seymour defeated former state legislator and Whig nominee Lafayette S. Foster with 48.11% of the vote.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1849 Connecticut gubernatorial election</span>

The 1849 Connecticut gubernatorial election was held on April 2, 1849. Former congressman and Whig nominee Joseph Trumbull defeated former congressman and Democratic nominee Thomas H. Seymour as well as former Senator and Free Soil nominee John M. Niles with 49.35% of the vote. Niles had previously been the Democratic nominee for this same office in 1840.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1848 Connecticut gubernatorial election</span>

The 1848 Connecticut gubernatorial election was held on April 3, 1848. Incumbent Governor and Whig nominee Clark Bissell was re-elected, defeating former congressman and Democratic nominee George S. Catlin with 50.38% of the vote.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1846 Connecticut gubernatorial election</span>

The 1846 Connecticut gubernatorial election was held on April 6, 1846. Former congressman and Democratic nominee Isaac Toucey was elected, defeating former state legislator and Whig nominee Clark Bissell with 47.54% of the vote.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1844 Connecticut gubernatorial election</span>

The 1844 Connecticut gubernatorial election was held on April 1, 1844. Former state legislator, Amistad lawyer and Whig nominee Roger Sherman Baldwin was elected, defeating incumbent governor and Democratic nominee Chauncey Fitch Cleveland with 49.41% of the vote.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1842 Connecticut gubernatorial election</span>

The 1842 Connecticut gubernatorial election was held on April 4, 1842. Former Speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives and Democratic nominee Chauncey Fitch Cleveland was elected, defeating incumbent governor and Whig nominee William W. Ellsworth with 49.94% of the vote.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1836 Connecticut gubernatorial election</span>

The 1836 Connecticut gubernatorial election was held on April 4, 1836. Incumbent governor and Democratic nominee Henry W. Edwards was re-elected, defeating former governor, senator and Whig nominee Gideon Tomlinson with 53.93% of the vote.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1835 Connecticut gubernatorial election</span>

The 1835 Connecticut gubernatorial election was held on April 6, 1835. It was a rematch of the 1834 Connecticut gubernatorial election. Former governor, senator and Democratic nominee Henry W. Edwards was elected, defeating incumbent governor and Whig nominee Samuel A. Foot with 52.13% of the vote.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1834 Connecticut gubernatorial election</span>

The 1834 Connecticut gubernatorial election was held on April 7, 1834. Former senator and Whig nominee Samuel A. Foot was elected, defeating incumbent governor and Democratic nominee Henry W. Edwards with 49.83% of the vote.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1833 Connecticut gubernatorial election</span>

The 1833 Connecticut gubernatorial election was held on April 1, 1833. Former senator and Democratic nominee Henry W. Edwards was elected, defeating incumbent governor and National Republican nominee John S. Peters with 41.31% of the vote.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1856 Massachusetts gubernatorial election</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1853–54 Massachusetts gubernatorial election</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1850–51 Massachusetts gubernatorial election</span>

The 1850–51 Massachusetts gubernatorial election consisted of an initial popular held on November 11, 1850 that was followed by a legislative vote that was conducted on January 11, 1851. It saw the election of Democratic Party nominee George S. Boutwell. 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.

References

  1. "Political Miscellany". Burlington free press. Burlington, Vt. April 5, 1856. p. 2. Retrieved May 3, 2022.
  2. "Connecticut Election". The New York herald. New York, N.Y. April 7, 1856. p. 1. Retrieved May 3, 2022.
  3. "There is a Complete Union". Evening star. Washington, D.C. April 7, 1856. p. 2. Retrieved May 3, 2022.
  4. Dubin, Michael J. (2003). United States Gubernatorial Elections, 1776-1860: The Official Results by State and County. Jefferson: McFarland & Company. p. 25. ISBN   9780786414390.