1861 Rhode Island gubernatorial election

1861 Rhode Island gubernatorial election
	County results; Sprague: 50–60%; Smith: 50–60%
Governor before election; William Sprague IV; Union	Elected Governor ; William Sprague IV; Union

The 1861 Rhode Island gubernatorial election was held April 3, 1861 to elect the governor of Rhode Island. William Sprague IV, the incumbent governor, was reelected, defeating his Republican rival, Mayor James Y. Smith of Providence.^[1] Sprague was nominated by Rhode Island's Union Party, a coalition of Democrats, conservative Republicans, and ex-Whigs that had supported him in 1860.^[2]^[3]

General election

On election day, 3 April 1861, incumbent governor William Sprague IV won re-election by a margin of 1,644 votes against his opponent Republican nominee James Y. Smith, thereby retaining Unionist control over the office of governor. Sprague was sworn in for his second term on 5 May 1861.^[4]

Results

Rhode Island gubernatorial election, 1861
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	National Union	William Sprague IV (incumbent)	11,844	53.69
	Republican	James Y. Smith	10,200	46.23
		Scattering	18	0.08
Total votes			22,062	100.00
	National Union hold

References

^ "William Sprague". National Governors Association. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
^ Smith, Adam I. P. (2006). No Party Now: Politics in the Civil War North. New York: Oxford University. pp. 41, 90. ISBN 978-0-19-534596-4.
^ "The Rhode Island Election". Willimantic Journal. April 5, 1861.
^ "RI Governor". ourcampaigns.com. 23 January 2011. Retrieved 5 April 2024.

[nga-1] "William Sprague". National Governors Association. Retrieved 5 April 2024.

[2] Smith, Adam I. P. (2006). No Party Now: Politics in the Civil War North. New York: Oxford University. pp. 41, 90. ISBN 978-0-19-534596-4.

[3] "The Rhode Island Election". Willimantic Journal. April 5, 1861.

[GBN-4] "RI Governor". ourcampaigns.com. 23 January 2011. Retrieved 5 April 2024.

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