1861 Iowa gubernatorial election

1861 Iowa gubernatorial election

←  1859 October 8, 1861 1863  →

Nominee Samuel J. Kirkwood William H. Merritt Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 60,303 43,245 Percentage 55.48% 39.78%

County results Kirkwood:     50-60%     60-70%     70-80%     80-90%     90-100% Merritt:     50-60%     60-70%     70-80%     80-90%     90-100% No Data/Votes:

Governor before election Samuel J. Kirkwood Republican Elected Governor Samuel J. Kirkwood Republican

The 1861 Iowa gubernatorial election was held on October 8, 1861, in order to elect the governor of Iowa. Incumbent Republican governor Samuel J. Kirkwood was re-elected against Democratic nominee William H. Merritt and several other candidates. ^[1]

General election

On election day, October 8, 1861, incumbent Republican governor Samuel J. Kirkwood won re-election by a margin of 17,058 votes against his foremost opponent Democratic nominee William H. Merritt, thereby holding Republican control over the office of governor. Kirkwood was sworn in for his second term on January 3, 1862. ^[2]

Results

Iowa gubernatorial election, 1861 ^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Samuel J. Kirkwood	60,303	55.48
	Democratic	William H. Merritt	43,245	39.78
	Democratic	Ben M. Samuels	4,495	4.14
	Democratic	Henry Clay Dean	440	0.41
	Democratic	Charles Mason	142	0.13
	Democratic	Lincoln Clark	50	0.05
		Scattering	25	0.02
Total votes			108,700	100.00
	Republican hold

References

1. "Samuel Jordan Kirkwood". National Governors Association . Retrieved 2023-11-28.
2. "IA Governor". ourcampaigns.com. July 5, 2008. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
3. Iowa General Assembly. Journal of the House of Representatives. 1862 sess., 3, accessed November 28, 2023