1845 Massachusetts gubernatorial election
The 1845 Massachusetts gubernatorial election was held on November 10, 1845.[1]
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| Elections in Massachusetts |
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Incumbent Whig Governor George N. Briggs defeated Democratic nominee Isaac Davis, Liberty Party nominee Samuel E. Sewall and Know Nothing nominee Henry Shaw.
Since no candidate received a majority in the popular vote, Briggs was elected by the Massachusetts General Court per the state constitution.
General election
Candidates
- George N. Briggs, Whig, incumbent Governor
- Isaac Davis, Democrat, member of the Massachusetts Senate
- Frederick Robinson, Independent Democrat, former President of the Massachusetts Senate
- Samuel E. Sewall, Liberty Party, lawyer, candidate for Governor in 1842, 1843, 1844
- Henry Shaw, Native American Party,[2][3] former U.S. Representative
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whig | George N. Briggs | 51,638 | 48.75% | ||
| Democratic | Isaac Davis | 37,427 | 35.33% | ||
| Liberty | Samuel E. Sewall | 8,316 | 7.85% | ||
| KN | Henry Shaw | 8,089 | 7.64% | ||
| Independent Democrat | Frederick Robinson | 368 | 0.35% | ||
| Scattering | 86 | 0.08% | |||
| Majority | 14,211 | 13.42% | |||
| Turnout | 105,924 | ||||
Legislative election
As no candidate received a majority of the vote, the Massachusetts General Court was required to decide the election. Under Article III of the Constitution of Massachusetts, the House of Representatives chose two candidates from the top four vote-getters, the Senate electing the Governor from the House's choice.[9]
The House sent the names of Briggs and Davis to the Senate on January 10.[10][11][12]
The legislative election was held on January 12, 1846.[11][13]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whig | George N. Briggs | unanimous | ||
| Whig hold | ||||
References
- "Elections". Mobile register and journal. Mobile, Ala. November 10, 1845. p. 2. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
- "Massachusetts". American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. Baltimore, Md. August 4, 1845. p. 4. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
- "Political". The New York herald. New York, N.Y. August 7, 1845. p. 1. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
- "MA Governor, 1845". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
- Glashan, Roy R. (1979). American Governors and Gubernatorial Elections, 1775-1978. Westport, CT: Meckler Books. pp. 142–143. ISBN 0-930466-17-9.
- Gubernatorial Elections, 1787-1997. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly Inc. 1998. p. 58. ISBN 1-56802-396-0.
- Dubin, Michael J. (2003). United States Gubernatorial Elections, 1776-1860: The Official Results by State and County. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. p. 115. ISBN 978-0-7864-1439-0.
- Kallenbach, Joseph E.; Kallenbach, Jessamine S., eds. (1977). American State Governors, 1776-1976. Vol. I. Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.: Oceana Publications, Inc. p. 277. ISBN 0-379-00665-0.
- "Massachusetts Constitution". The General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
- Kallenbach, Joseph E.; Kallenbach, Jessamine S., eds. (1977). American State Governors, 1776-1976. Vol. I. Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.: Oceana Publications, Inc. p. 294. ISBN 0-379-00665-0.
- "Massachusetts". New-York daily tribune. New-York, N.Y. January 13, 1846. p. 2. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
- "Massachusetts". Weekly national intelligencer. Washington, D.C. January 17, 1846. p. 4. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
- "Massachusetts". Der Lecha Patriot und Northampton Demokrat. Allentaun, Pa. January 28, 1846. p. 2. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
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