1857 Massachusetts gubernatorial election

Last updated June 26, 2023

The 1857 Massachusetts gubernatorial election was held on November 3. Incumbent Know-Nothing Governor Henry J. Gardner ran for a fourth term in office, but lost the support of the Republican Party, which nominated Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Nathaniel P. Banks. Banks prevailed over Gardner to become the first Republican Governor of Massachusetts.

Gardner's loss also began an informal tradition of no Governor serving more than three consecutive one-year terms, which persisted until 1920, when the Governor's term was extended to two years. The only exception to this tradition was made for Governor John Albion Andrew, who held office during the Civil War.

General election

Candidates

Nathaniel Prentiss Banks, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives (Republican)
Erasmus Beach, nominee for Governor in 1855 and 1856 (Democratic)
Henry J. Gardner, incumbent Governor (American)
Caleb Swan ("Straight Republican")

Results

1857 Massachusetts gubernatorial election^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Nathaniel Prentiss Banks	60,797	46.58%	N/A
	KN	Henry J. Gardner (incumbent)	37,596	28.81%	30.11
	Democratic	Erasmus D. Beach	31,760	24.33%	1.21
	Independent Republican	Caleb Swan	213	0.16%	3.43
Total votes			130,366	100.00%
	Republican gain from KN		Swing

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The 1920 Massachusetts gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 1920. This was the first election in which the governor was elected to a two-year term, following the adoption of amendments to the state constitution proposed by the state constitutional convention of 1917-18.

The 1922 Massachusetts gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1922.

The 1928 Massachusetts gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 1928.

The 1936 Massachusetts gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1936.

The 1938 Massachusetts gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1938.

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 Massachusetts gubernatorial election was held on November 6. Know-Nothing candidate Henry J. Gardner was re-elected to a second term as Governor in a multi-partisan race, defeating Republican Julius Rockwell and Democrat Erasmus Beach.

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 1858 Massachusetts gubernatorial election was held on November 2. Incumbent Republican Governor Nathaniel Banks was easily re-elected to a second term in office, beginning a period of Republican dominance which would extended into the 1870s.

The 1859 Massachusetts gubernatorial elections was held on November 2. Incumbent Republican Governor Nathaniel Banks was easily re-elected to a third term in office in a race featuring three Governors of Massachusetts: incumbent Governor Banks, former Governor George Nixon Briggs (1844–51), and future Governor Benjamin Franklin Butler (1882–83).

The 1860 Massachusetts gubernatorial election was held on November 6. Incumbent Republican Governor Nathaniel Banks did not run for re-election to a fourth term. He was succeeded by Republican John Albion Andrew, a radical abolitionist.

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 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 1944 Massachusetts general election was held on November 7, 1944, throughout Massachusetts. Primary elections took place on July 11.

The 1862 New Hampshire gubernatorial election was held on March 11, 1862.

References

↑ Dubin, Michael J. (2003). United States Gubernatorial Elections, 1776-1860: The Official Results by State and County. Jefferson: McFarland & Company. p. 119. ISBN 9780786414390.

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[1] Dubin, Michael J. (2003). United States Gubernatorial Elections, 1776-1860: The Official Results by State and County. Jefferson: McFarland & Company. p. 119. ISBN 9780786414390.

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Gov.'s Council	2002 2006 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020
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U.S. Senate Class 1	1788 1790 s/1796 1796 s/1800 1803 1808 s/1808 1815 s/1816 s/1818 s/1820 1820 1827 1833 1839 s/Feb 1841 1845 s/1851 1851 1857 1863 1869 s/1874 1875 1881 1887 1893 1899 1905 1911 1916 1922 s/1926 1928 1934 1940 1946 1952 1958 s/1962 1964 1970 1976 1982 1988 1994 2000 2006 s/2010 2012 2018 2024
U.S. Senate Class 2	1788 1793 s/1796 1798 s/1800 s/1803 1805 s/1811 1816 s/1822 1822 s/1826 1828 1835 Jan 1841 1841 s/1845 1847 1853 s/1855 1859 1865 1871 s/1873 1877 1883 1889 1895 1901 s/1905 1907 1913 1918 1924 1930 1936 1942 s/1944 1948 1954 1960 1966 1972 1978 1984 1990 1996 2002 2008 s/2013 2014 2020
U.S. House	1788–89 1790–92 1792-93 1794–95 1796 s/1st s/10th s/11th 1798–99 1800–01 s/3rd s/4th s/10th s/4th s/12th s/14th 1802–03 1804 s/12th 1806 1807 s/12th 1808 s/2nd 1810–11 s/10th s/11th s/4th 1812–13 s/17th 1814–15 s/3rd s/4th s/12th 1816–17 s/11th s/1st 1818–19 s/20th 1820–21 s/1st s/8th s/13th 1822–23 s/10th 1824–25 s/10th 1826–27 s/1st 1828 1830–32 1833–34 1834–35 s/2nd s/5th 1836 1838 s/2nd 1840–41 s/1st 1842–44 1843 s/10th 1844–46 1846 1848-50 1850–51 1852 s/2nd s/4th 1854 1856 1858 s/7th 1860 1861 s/3rd s/5th 1862 1864 1866 1868 1869 s/7th 1870 1872 1873 s/3rd 1874 1876 1878 1880 1882 1884 1886 1888 1890 1892 1893 s/7th 1894 1895 s/6th 1896 1897 s/1st 1898 1900 1902 s/6th 1904 1906 s/3rd 1908 1910 s/4th 1912 1913 s/3rd s/13th 1914 1916 1917 s/6th 1918 1920 1921 s/6th 1922 s/16th 1924 1925 s/2nd s/5th 1926 s/8th 1928 s/12th s/14th 1930 s/2nd 1932 1934 1936 1937 s/7th s/11th 1938 1940 1941 s/7th 1942 1944 1946 1947 s/9th 1948 1950 s/6th 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1970 1972 1974 1976 s/7th 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1991 s/1st 1992 1994 1996 1998 s/1st Jun s/1st Nov 2000 2001 s/9th 2002 2004 2006 2007 s/5th 2008 2010 2012 2013 s/5th 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022
"s/" = Special election See also: Political party strength in Massachusetts