Pennsylvania gubernatorial election, 1860

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Pennsylvania gubernatorial election, 1860
Flag of Pennsylvania.svg
  1857 October 9, 1860 (1860-10-09) 1863  

  Andrew Curtin2.jpg HDFoster.jpg
Nominee Andrew Gregg Curtin Henry Donnel Foster
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote262,346 230,230
Percentage53.26% 46.74%

Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election Results by County, 1860.svg

County results*
  *Results unknown

Governor before election

William F. Packer
Democratic

Elected Governor

Andrew Curtin
Republican

The Pennsylvania gubernatorial of 1860 was held on October 9, almost one month before Presidential election. Andrew Curtin of the newly formed Republican Party won the governor's mansion over Democrat Henry Donnel Foster.

Henry Donnel Foster American politician

Henry Donnel Foster was a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.

Contents

Candidates

Democratic

Republican

Campaign

As in most of the county, the growing tension over the expansion of slavery was the dominant electoral issue. Although outgoing Governor William F. Packer had been lauded for expanding public education and for aiding the state's iron and glass industries through tough economic times, his reputation was tainted by a strong connection to President James Buchanan. Nonetheless, the state Democratic Party remained strong, and, despite the national split, leadership united behind Foster. By contrast, the Republicans, which had participated in only one prior gubernatorial election, was marked by division. Although Abraham Lincoln was emerging as the party's presidential candidate, state party bosses had hoped to nominate Simon Cameron; it took some time for the party establishment to unify around Curtin, a Lincoln supporter, and his campaign got off to somewhat of a slow start.

Although both candidates discussed similar issues in their campaign, particularly public education and industrial development, local issues were totally overshadowed by the impending threat of war. While Democrats, who backed the Stephen A. Douglas and the Northern plank of their national party almost unanimously, rallied hard behind Foster, the problems with the party's national machinery caught up with their candidate. Curtin, a powerful speaker, was able to convince voters that choosing the Republican line was the only way to keep the nation from division, a message that allowed him to achieve a narrow victory.

Results

Pennsylvania gubernatorial election, 1860 [1] [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Andrew Gregg Curtin 262,34653.26
Democratic Henry Donnel Foster 230,230 46.74
Total votes492,576100.00
Turnout {{{votes}}} 64.60

Notes

  1. The Pennsylvania Manual, p. 728.
  2. The Pennsylvania Manual, p. 727.

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References

The Pennsylvania Department of General Services (DGS) is an agency of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania that is responsible for the purchasing of goods and services for the state government. The DGS also "maintains and protects" buildings owned by the state government. The DGS was formed on July 22, 1975, when the Department of Property and Supplies and the General State Authority were merged into the Department of General Services.