The 1853 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 1853. Democratic candidate William A. Barstow won the election with 55% of the vote, winning his first term as Governor of Wisconsin. Barstow defeated Free Soil Party candidate Edward D. Holton and Whig candidate Henry S. Baird.[1] This would be the last Wisconsin gubernatorial election in which there was a Whig candidate on the ballot.
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 County results Barstow: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Holton: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% Baird: 40–50% 50–60% | |||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the last election until 1932 in which Adams County and Bad Ax (Vernon) County voted for a Democrat. Additionally, Columbia County would not vote Democratic again until 1924, nor would Green County, Portage County, and Sauk County until 1890.
Nominations
editDemocratic party
editWilliam A. Barstow was a resident of Waukesha County, and had previously served as Wisconsin's Secretary of State. Before Wisconsin became a state, he was instrumental in creating Waukesha County from what had been the western half of Milwaukee County.
The Wisconsin Democratic Party Convention was held in Janesville in September 1853. Barstow did not intend to seek the nomination for Governor, and, in fact, was supporting A. Hyatt Smith for the nomination. Nevertheless, Barstow's popularity resulted in him receiving five votes on the first ballot, and after Smith deadlocked with Jairus C. Fairchild for seven ballots, Smith withdrew his name and instead endorsed Barstow. Barstow received the nomination on the 13th ballot.[2][3]
Other candidates
edit- Jairus C. Fairchild, of Madison, had been the first State Treasurer of Wisconsin.
- A. Hyatt Smith was the Mayor of Janesville, and had previously served as United States Attorney for Wisconsin and Attorney General of the Wisconsin Territory.
- Timothy Burns, of La Crosse, was the incumbent Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin. He died just days after the Democratic convention chose Barstow as the nominee.
Whig party
editHenry S. Baird was a resident of Green Bay, and was said to be the first practicing lawyer in the Wisconsin Territory. He had served as Attorney General of the Wisconsin Territory, appointed by Territorial Governor Henry Dodge, and served on the Territorial Council. He was a delegate to Wisconsin's first Constitutional Convention.
Independent
editEdward D. Holton was a resident of Milwaukee. He was a businessman and banker, interested in building a railroad to stretch from Milwaukee to the Mississippi River. He was an avowed abolitionist, first as a member of the Liberty Party, and then its successor the Free Soil Party. He was also a supporter of temperance legislation in Wisconsin. The state ticket he headed in 1853 was referred to as the "People's Ticket" and stood in general opposition to the Democratic ticket.[4]
Results
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | William A. Barstow | 30,405 | 54.60% | +5.24% | |
| Independent | Edward D. Holton | 21,886 | 39.31% | ||
| Whig | Henry S. Baird | 3,304 | 5.93% | −44.57% | |
| Scattering | 88 | 0.16% | |||
| Majority | 8,519 | 15.30% | |||
| Total votes | 55,683 | 100.00% | |||
| Democratic gain from Whig | Swing | +16.45% | |||
Results by county
edit| County[5] | William A. Barstow Democratic |
Edward D. Holton Independent |
Henry S. Baird Whig |
Scattering Write-in |
Margin | Total votes cast | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Adams | 122 | 51.91% | 38 | 16.17% | 57 | 24.26% | 18 | 7.66% | 65[a] | 27.66% | 235 |
| Bad Ax | 208 | 71.23% | 7 | 2.40% | 77 | 26.37% | 0 | 0.00% | 131[a] | 44.86% | 292 |
| Brown | 254 | 40.06% | 33 | 5.21% | 334 | 52.68% | 13 | 2.05% | -80[b] | -12.62% | 634 |
| Calumet | 250 | 57.74% | 90 | 20.79% | 93 | 21.48% | 0 | 0.00% | 157[a] | 36.26% | 433 |
| Columbia | 816 | 47.22% | 706 | 40.86% | 206 | 11.92% | 0 | 0.00% | 110 | 6.37% | 1,728 |
| Crawford | 118 | 69.01% | 24 | 14.04% | 29 | 16.96% | 0 | 0.00% | 89[a] | 52.05% | 171 |
| Dane | 1,620 | 53.17% | 1,234 | 40.50% | 177 | 5.81% | 16 | 0.53% | 386 | 12.67% | 3,047 |
| Dodge | 1,992 | 57.89% | 1,418 | 41.21% | 31 | 0.90% | 0 | 0.00% | 574 | 16.68% | 3,441 |
| Fond du Lac | 1,489 | 54.01% | 1,217 | 44.14% | 51 | 1.85% | 0 | 0.00% | 272 | 9.87% | 2,757 |
| Grant | 988 | 44.73% | 1,026 | 46.45% | 195 | 8.83% | 0 | 0.00% | -38 | -1.72% | 2,209 |
| Green | 769 | 46.05% | 748 | 44.79% | 153 | 9.16% | 0 | 0.00% | 21 | 1.26% | 1,670 |
| Iowa | 402 | 45.68% | 464 | 52.73% | 14 | 1.59% | 0 | 0.00% | -62 | -7.05% | 880 |
| Jackson | 113 | 88.98% | 14 | 11.02% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 99 | 77.95% | 127 |
| Jefferson | 1,490 | 46.71% | 1,591 | 49.87% | 108 | 3.39% | 1 | 0.03% | -101 | -3.17% | 3,190 |
| Kenosha | 590 | 41.96% | 812 | 57.75% | 4 | 0.28% | 0 | 0.00% | -222 | -15.79% | 1,406 |
| La Crosse | 276 | 56.67% | 150 | 30.80% | 61 | 12.53% | 0 | 0.00% | 126 | 25.87% | 487 |
| La Pointe | 39 | 97.50% | 0 | 0.00% | 1 | 2.50% | 0 | 0.00% | 38[a] | 95.00% | 40 |
| Lafayette | 1,026 | 59.44% | 420 | 24.33% | 280 | 16.22% | 0 | 0.00% | 606 | 35.11% | 1,726 |
| Manitowoc | 854 | 88.22% | 46 | 4.75% | 67 | 6.92% | 1 | 0.10% | 787[a] | 81.30% | 968 |
| Marathon | 205 | 49.16% | 4 | 0.96% | 208 | 49.88% | 0 | 0.00% | -3[b] | -0.72% | 417 |
| Marquette | 641 | 42.53% | 852 | 56.54% | 14 | 0.93% | 0 | 0.00% | -211 | -14.00% | 1,507 |
| Milwaukee | 4,184 | 75.20% | 1,334 | 23.98% | 24 | 0.43% | 22 | 0.40% | 2,850 | 51.22% | 5,564 |
| Oconto | 90 | 42.86% | 0 | 0.00% | 120 | 57.14% | 0 | 0.00% | -30[b] | -14.29% | 210 |
| Outagamie | 267 | 54.38% | 206 | 41.96% | 18 | 3.67% | 0 | 0.00% | 61 | 14.29% | 491 |
| Ozaukee | 1,155 | 86.58% | 179 | 13.42% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 976 | 73.16% | 1,334 |
| Pierce | 71 | 67.62% | 0 | 0.00% | 34 | 32.38% | 0 | 0.00% | 37[a] | 35.24% | 105 |
| Portage | 367 | 63.49% | 56 | 9.69% | 154 | 26.64% | 1 | 0.17% | 213[a] | 36.85% | 578 |
| Racine | 1,239 | 50.39% | 1,214 | 49.37% | 6 | 0.24% | 0 | 0.00% | 25 | 1.02% | 2,459 |
| Richland | 185 | 56.92% | 127 | 39.08% | 13 | 4.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 58 | 17.85% | 325 |
| Rock | 1,375 | 38.80% | 1,832 | 51.69% | 337 | 9.51% | 0 | 0.00% | -457 | -12.90% | 3,544 |
| Sauk | 641 | 54.74% | 472 | 40.31% | 55 | 4.70% | 3 | 0.26% | 169 | 14.43% | 1,171 |
| Sheboygan | 1,389 | 67.07% | 676 | 32.64% | 4 | 0.19% | 2 | 0.10% | 713 | 34.43% | 2,071 |
| Walworth | 1,062 | 37.28% | 1,584 | 55.60% | 203 | 7.13% | 0 | 0.00% | -522 | -18.32% | 2,849 |
| Washington | 1,462 | 82.46% | 310 | 17.48% | 0 | 0.00% | 1 | 0.06% | 1,152 | 64.97% | 1,773 |
| Waukesha | 1,594 | 48.84% | 1,610 | 49.33% | 54 | 1.65% | 6 | 0.18% | -16 | -0.49% | 3,264 |
| Waupaca | 217 | 51.79% | 152 | 36.28% | 50 | 11.93% | 0 | 0.00% | 65 | 15.51% | 419 |
| Waushara | 135 | 36.68% | 232 | 63.04% | 1 | 0.27% | 0 | 0.00% | -97 | -26.36% | 368 |
| Winnebago | 710 | 39.60% | 1,008 | 56.22% | 71 | 3.96% | 4 | 0.22% | -298 | -16.62% | 1,793 |
| Total | 30,405 | 54.60% | 21,886 | 39.30% | 3,304 | 5.93% | 88 | 0.16% | 8,519 | 15.30% | 55,683 |
Counties that flipped from Whig to Democratic
editCounties that flipped from Democratic to Whig
editCounties that flipped from Democratic to Independent
editCounties that flipped from Whig to Independent
editNotes
editReferences
edit- ^ Joint Committee on Legislative Organization, Wisconsin Legislature (2015). Wisconsin Blue Book 2015-2016. Madison, Wisconsin: Wisconsin Department of Administration. pp. 699–701. ISBN 978-0-9752820-7-6.
- ^ "State Ticket". River Times. Fort Winnebago, Wisconsin. September 17, 1853. p. 2. Retrieved June 1, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Democratic State Convention". River Times. Fort Winnebago, Wisconsin. September 17, 1853. pp. 1–2. Retrieved June 1, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "People's Ticket for State Officers". Kenosha Telegraph. Kenosha, Wisconsin. November 4, 1853. p. 2. Retrieved August 20, 2024 – via Chronicling America.
- ^ a b Wisconsin Historical Society, A Tabular Statement showing the number of votes cast for State Officers and upon the Prohibitory Liquor Law at the general election held in the State of Wisconsin on the tuesday next succeeding the first monday being the 8th day, of November A.D. 1853