1860 Rhode Island gubernatorial election

1860 Rhode Island gubernatorial election

←  1859 April 4, 1860 1861  →

Nominee William Sprague IV Seth Padelford Party Democratic Republican Alliance Conservative Popular vote 12,278 10,740 Percentage 53.3% 46.7%

County results Sprague:      50–60% Padelford:      50–60%

Governor before election Thomas G. Turner Republican Elected Governor William Sprague IV Democratic

A gubernatorial election was held in Rhode Island on April 4, 1860. The Democratic and Conservative candidate William Sprague IV defeated the Republican former member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives from Providence Seth Padelford. ^[1]

At the Republican state convention, Padelford, a Radical Republican, defeated the incumbent governor Thomas G. Turner. Padelford's nomination precipitated a movement by Conservative Republicans, former Whigs, and Democrats to jointly nominate Sprague as the conservative fusion candidate. Sprague's surrogates portrayed the election as a choice between "Union and Disunion" and charged Padelford with representing "agitation, anarchy," and "black Republicanism." ^[2] The conservatives used several names during the campaign, including "Young Men's," "Conservative Republican," "Democratic," "Military," "Conservative Union," and "American." ^[3] Sprague's coalition subsequently became the foundation for the Rhode Island Constitutional Union Party. ^[4]

Nominations

Conservative Party

A convention of the "conservative men of Rhode Island" met at Providence on February 1, 1860 and nominated Sprague for governor. ^[5] Sprague declined this nomination. ^[6] A second state convention was held on February 16, concurrently with the Democratic convention, where Sprague was again nominated unanimously. ^[7]

Candidate

• 
  William Sprague IV

Democratic Party

The Democratic state convention was held at Providence on February 16, 1860, concurrently with the Conservative Union convention. Sprague was nominated unanimously. ^[8]

Candidate

• 
  William Sprague IV

Republican Party

The Republican state convention met at Providence on January 4, 1850. Padelford defeated Turner on the first ballot. ^[9]

Candidates

• 
  Former State Representative
  Seth Padelford
• 
  Former Lt. Governor
  Samuel G. Arnold
• 
  Governor
  Thomas G. Turner

Gubernatorial nomination

Gubernatorial ballot ^[10]

Candidate	1st
Seth Padelford	55
Samuel G. Arnold	34
Thomas G. Turner	15

General election

1860 Rhode Island gubernatorial election ^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	William Sprague IV	12,278	53.34
	Republican	Seth Padelford	10,740	46.66
Total votes			23,018	100.00
	Democratic gain from Republican

Notes

1. Dubin 2003, p. 238.
2. Smith 2017, pp. 140–41.
3. DeSimone & Schofield 2015, Figs. 1-270, 1-271, 1-272, 1-273, 1-274, 1-275, 1-276, 1-277.
4. Smith 2017, pp. 183–84.
5. "The Rhode Island Republican Division". Vermont Phoenix. February 4, 1860.
6. "Col. Sprague". Evening Star. February 8, 1860.
7. "There are indications [...]". Alexandria Gazette. February 22, 1860.
8. "There are indications [...]". Alexandria Gazette. February 22, 1860.
9. "The Rhode Island Republican state convention [...]". The New York Herald. January 5, 1860.
10. "The Republicans of Rhode Island". Bradford Reporter. January 12, 1860.

Bibliography

• DeSimone, Russel J.; Schofield, Daniel C. (October 2015), Rhode Island Election Tickets: A Survey (PDF), Kingston, RI: University of Rhode Island
• Dubin, Michael J. (2003). United States Gubernatorial Elections, 1776–1860: The Official Results by State and County. Jefferson, NC: McFarland and Company. ISBN   978-0-7864-1439-0.
• Smith, Adam I. P. (2017). The Stormy Present: Conservatism and the Problem of Slavery in Northern Politics, 1846–1865. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press. ISBN   978-1-4696-3389-3.