1863 Kentucky gubernatorial election

1863 Kentucky gubernatorial election

←  1859 August 3, 1863 1867  →

Nominee Thomas E. Bramlette Charles A. Wickliffe Party Union Democratic Peace Democrat Popular vote 67,577 17,458 Percentage 79.5% 20.5%

County results map. Blue denotes counties won by Bramlette and green denotes counties won by Wickliffe.

Governor before election James Fisher Robinson Union Democratic Elected Governor Thomas E. Bramlette Union Democratic

The 1863 Kentucky gubernatorial election took place on August 3, 1863, in order to elect the governor of Kentucky. Union Democratic candidate Thomas Elliot Bramlette won his first term as governor ^[1] against Peace Democratic candidate Charles A. Wickliffe. ^[2]

According to the Kentucky Historical Society, the election had considerable Union military interference, ^[3] since some supporters of Wickliffe were imprisoned for allegedly harboring Confederate sympathies. ^[4]

Candidates

Union Democratic Party

• Thomas E. Bramlette, who served as U.S. Attorney for the District of Kentucky; colonel and commander of the 3rd Kentucky Infantry; judge of Kentucky's Sixth Judicial District from 1856 to 1862; and commonwealth attorney of Kentucky from 1849 to 1851. ^{[1] [4]}

The Union Democratic Party originally nominated Joshua F. Bell, who withdrew after the party convention. ^[4]

Peace Democratic Party

• Charles A. Wickliffe, who served as a member of United States House of Representatives for Kentucky from 1823 to 1833 and from 1860 to 1863; United States Postmaster General from 1841 to 1845 in the Tyler administration; and former lieutenant governor of Kentucky from 1836 to 1839 under James Clark and governor of Kentucky after Clark's death in office, until 1840. ^{[5] [6]}

Election

Statewide

1863 Kentucky gubernatorial election ^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Union	Thomas E. Bramlette	67,577	79.5
	Peace Democrat	Charles A. Wickliffe	17,458	20.5
Total votes			85,035	100.00
	Union hold

References

1. "Thomas Elliott Bramlette". National Governors Association. December 8, 2015. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
2. Dubin, Michael J. (2014). United States Gubernatorial Elections, 1861-1911 | The Official Results by State and County. McFarland. p. 2. ISBN   9780786456468.
3. "Lincoln Lore – Thomas E. Bramlette". Kentucky's Abraham Lincoln. Kentucky Historical Society. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
4. "Thomas E. Bramlette (1863-1867) · Civil War Governors of Kentucky". Civil War Governors of Kentucky. Kentucky Historical Society. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
5. "Charles A. Wickliffe (1841–1845) | Miller Center". University of Virginia Miller Center. Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia. October 4, 2016. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
6. "Charles Anderson Wickliffe". National Governors Association. December 8, 2015. Retrieved March 27, 2024.