1862 New York gubernatorial election

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1862 New York gubernatorial election
Flag of New York.svg
  1860 November 4, 1862 1864  
  Hon. Horatio Seymour, N.Y - NARA - 528568 (cropped).jpg JSWadsworth civ.jpg
Nominee Horatio Seymour James S. Wadsworth
Party Democratic National Union
Alliance Constitutional Union
Popular vote306,649295,897
Percentage50.89%49.11%

1862 New York gubernatorial election results map by county.svg
County results
Seymour:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%
Wadsworth:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%
No Data:     

Governor before election

Edwin D. Morgan
Republican

Elected Governor

Horatio Seymour
Democratic

The 1860 New York gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 1860. Incumbent Governor Edwin D. Morgan did not run for a third consecutive term in office. Democratic former Governor Horatio Seymour was elected over Union candidate James S. Wadsworth.

Contents

Constitutional Union nomination

The Constitution Union state convention met on September 9 at Association Hall in Troy. Horatio Seymour led informal balloting for governor, but the convention adjourned without a nomination. The next day, its delegates joined the Democratic convention in Albany. [1]

1862 Constitutional Union convention [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Constitutional Union Horatio Seymour 3252.46%
Constitutional Union John Adams Dix 2032.79%
Constitutional Union Millard Fillmore 69.84%
Constitutional Union Frederick A. Tallmadge 11.64%
Constitutional Union James Brooks 11.64%
Constitutional Union Lorenzo Burrows 11.64%
Total votes61 100.00%

Democratic nomination

Candidates

Declined

Convention

The Democratic state convention met at Tweddle Hall in Albany on September 10, one day after the Constitutional Union convention. [2] For the first time in many years, the party was united in New York City, with mayor Fernando Wood and Tammany Hall sharing portions of the delegation. [2] A commitee of ten, including August Belmont, was appointed to confer with the Constitutional Union delegates, who were invited to join the convention to a storm of applause. [2]

Horatio Seymour was nominated for governor by acclamation following an enthusiastic demonstration. [2] Once order was restored, Seymour delivered an acceptance speech criticizing both the United States Congress and the Abraham Lincoln administration for their conduct during the Civil War, citing Republican journalists and Proverbs 20:3 ("It is an honor for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling."). [2] Though he credited the Republican Congress with honesty, he accused radicals in Congress of insubordination to the Lincoln administration by pursuing the abolition of slavery, which united the South and divided the North. [2] By contrast, he pledged that the Democratic Party would be loyal and obedient to the laws and Constitution, supporting the cause of the Union. [2]

Seymour's acceptance speech was followed by a brief address from Fernando Wood, who endorsed Seymour, pledging a strong majority of the vote from New York, and accused the Lincoln administration of arresting dissenters. [2]

Union nomination

Candidates

Convention

The Union state convention met at Wieting Hall in Syracuse on September 24. [3] The Union Party included Republicans as well as War Democrats like Lyman Tremain, who was nominated for Lieutenant Governor. [4]

1862 Union convention [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%
National Union James S. Wadsworth 234 61.74%
National Union John Adams Dix 11029.02%
National Union Lyman Tremain 338.71%
National Union Daniel S. Dickinson 20.53%
Total votes379 100.00%

The Albany delegation voted for Tremain, except Tremain himself, who voted for Dickinson. After the result was announced, Tremain applauded both Wadsworth and Dix, withdrew his name from consideration and called for Wadsworth to be nominated unanimously. [3] Tremain was nominated unanimously for Lieutenant Governor with the support of William Curtis Noyes, whom he had defeated for Attorney General in 1857. [3]

General election

Candidates

Results

1862 New York gubernatorial election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Democratic Horatio Seymour 306,649 50.89% Increase2.svg 7.08
National Union James S. Wadsworth 295,89749.11%Decrease2.svg 4.13
Total votes602,546 100.00%

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "STATE POLITICS - Meeting of the Constitutional Union State Convention at Albany" (PDF). The New York Times . July 13, 1862. Retrieved April 28, 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 STATE POLITICS - Meeting of the Democratic State Convention at Albany in NYT on September 11, 1862
  3. 1 2 3 4 NEW YORK STATE POLITICS - The Republican Convention at Syracuse in NYT on September 25, 1862
  4. Smith, Adam I. P. (2006). No Party Now: Politics in the Civil War North. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 59.