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1853 Wisconsin gubernatorial election

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1853 Wisconsin gubernatorial election
← 1851 November 8, 1853 1855 →
 
Nominee William A. Barstow Edward D. Holton Henry S. Baird
Party Democratic Independent Whig
Popular vote 30,405 21,886 3,304
Percentage 54.60% 39.30% 5.93%

County results
Barstow:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%
Holton:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%
Baird:      40–50%      50–60%

Governor before election

Leonard J. Farwell
Whig

Elected Governor

William A. Barstow
Democratic

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.

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

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Democratic party

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William 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

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Whig party

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Henry 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

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Edward 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

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1853 Wisconsin gubernatorial election[5]
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

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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

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Counties that flipped from Democratic to Whig

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Counties that flipped from Democratic to Independent

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Counties that flipped from Whig to Independent

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Barstow's margin over Baird
  2. ^ a b c Baird's margin over Barstow

References

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  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ "State Ticket". River Times. Fort Winnebago, Wisconsin. September 17, 1853. p. 2. Retrieved June 1, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Democratic State Convention". River Times. Fort Winnebago, Wisconsin. September 17, 1853. pp. 1–2. Retrieved June 1, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "People's Ticket for State Officers". Kenosha Telegraph. Kenosha, Wisconsin. November 4, 1853. p. 2. Retrieved August 20, 2024 – via Chronicling America.
  5. ^ 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