1847 Massachusetts gubernatorial election

The 1847 Massachusetts gubernatorial election was held on November 8.

1847 Massachusetts gubernatorial election

November 8, 1847 (1847-11-08)
 
Nominee George N. Briggs Caleb Cushing Samuel E. Sewall
Party Whig Democratic Liberty
Popular vote 53,742 39,398 9,193
Percentage 50.97% 37.36% 8.72%

Governor before election

George N. Briggs
Whig

Elected Governor

George N. Briggs
Whig

Incumbent Whig Governor George N. Briggs was re-elected to a fifth term in office over Democrat Caleb Cushing. This was the last election in which the Whig Party received a majority of the vote; after the emergence of the Free Soil Party in 1848, Whigs only won pluralities before fading away entirely by the 1857 election.

Democratic nomination

Candidates

Convention

1847 Massachusetts Democratic Convention[1]
Ballot12
Cushing153264
Davis11787
Henshaw650
Bishop140
Others1910
Total368361

General election

Candidates

  • Francis Baylies, former U.S. Chargé d'Affaires in Buenos Aires and U.S. Representative from Taunton
  • Caleb Cushing, former U.S. Minister to China and U.S. Representative from Newburyport (Democratic)
  • George N. Briggs, incumbent Governor since 1844 (Whig)
  • Samuel Edmund Sewall, Liberty nominee for Governor since 1842 (Liberty)

Results

1847 Massachusetts gubernatorial election[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig George N. Briggs (incumbent) 53,742 50.97% Decrease2.81
Democratic Caleb Cushing 39,398 37.36% Increase4.78
Liberty Samuel Edmund Sewall 9,193 8.72% Decrease1.09
Know Nothing Francis Baylies 2,876 2.73% Decrease0.63
Write-in 234 0.22% Decrease0.26
Total votes 105,443 100.00%

See also

References


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