1861 Georgia gubernatorial election

1861 Georgia gubernatorial election
	Results by County; Brown: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90%; Nisbet: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% >90%
Governor before election; Joseph E. Brown ; Democratic	Elected Governor; Joseph E. Brown ; Democratic

Last updated January 23, 2025

The 1861 Georgia gubernatorial election was held on October 2, 1861, in order to elect the Governor of Georgia. It was the first gubernatorial election in Georgia under the Confederate States of America and saw Democratic nominee and incumbent Governor Joseph E. Brown win a third term against Anti-Brown Democratic nominee Judge E. A. Nisbet.^[2]

Brown's opposition did not want him to go unchallenged and so held an Anti-Brown convention at Milledgeville where they nominated Judge E. A. Nisbet for the governorship. Concerned about the prospect of Brown serving a third term, they argued that too frequent reelections would convert the governorship into a dictatorship and that Brown should willingly relinquish the office to Nisbet. Furthermore, a writer accused Brown of demagoguery and condemned him for nursing his "pet brigadiers," specifically mentioning Brown's conduct in keeping Brigadier General C. J. Phillips in camp at a cost of $100,000 to the state.^[2]

In a letter to the people of Georgia, Brown attacked the Milledgeville caucus as being unnecessary, accusing Nisbet of being the candidate of the "politicians". He also accused his opposition of wishing to bring back political strife and oppose the will of the people. Supporters of Brown asserted that Nisbet had spent most of his life in the city and that his health was too delicate to undertake the heavy tasks of the governor's office. Additionally, they accused the Anti-Brown Democrats of being "neutral Yankees."^[2]

Despite winning the governorship with 58.63% of the vote, Brown was met with a Nisbet legislature in November 1861, and it was prophesied that this body would "give him the devil." Throughout the duration of the war, this legislature proved to be a persistent source of difficulty for Brown, complicating his governance during the war years.^[2]

General election

On election day, October 2, 1861, Democratic nominee Joseph E. Brown won re-election by a margin of 13,691 votes against Anti-Brown Democratic nominee E. A. Nisbet, thereby becoming the first person to hold the office of Governor of Georgia for three terms.^[3]

Georgia gubernatorial election, 1861^[3]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Joseph E. Brown (incumbent)	46,493	58.63
	Democratic	E. A. Nisbet	32,802	41.37
Total votes			79,295	100.00

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References

↑ "Southern recorder. (Milledgeville, Ga.) 1820-1872, November 05, 1861". Southern Recorder. November 5, 1861. p. 3. Archived from the original on March 27, 2024. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
1 2 3 4 Bass, James (1933). "THE GEORGIA GUBERNATORIAL ELECTIONS OF 1861 AND 1863". The Georgia Historical Quarterly . 17 (3): 173–177. Archived from the original on March 28, 2024. Retrieved March 28, 2024– via JSTOR.
1 2 "Our Campaigns - GA CSA Governor Race - Oct 07, 1861". www.ourcampaigns.com. Archived from the original on March 28, 2024. Retrieved March 28, 2024.

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[1] "Southern recorder. (Milledgeville, Ga.) 1820-1872, November 05, 1861". Southern Recorder. November 5, 1861. p. 3. Archived from the original on March 27, 2024. Retrieved March 28, 2024.

[:GHQ-2] 1 2 3 4 Bass, James (1933). "THE GEORGIA GUBERNATORIAL ELECTIONS OF 1861 AND 1863". The Georgia Historical Quarterly . 17 (3): 173–177. Archived from the original on March 28, 2024. Retrieved March 28, 2024– via JSTOR.

[:OC-3] 1 2 "Our Campaigns - GA CSA Governor Race - Oct 07, 1861". www.ourcampaigns.com. Archived from the original on March 28, 2024. Retrieved March 28, 2024.

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