1819 Indiana gubernatorial election explained

Election Name:1819 Indiana gubernatorial election
Country:Indiana
Type:Presidential
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:1816 Indiana gubernatorial election
Previous Year:1816
Next Election:1822 Indiana gubernatorial election
Next Year:1822
Election Date:August 2, 1819
Nominee1:Jonathan Jennings
Party1:Nonpartisan candidate
Popular Vote1:9,168
Percentage1:81.45%
Nominee2:Christopher Harrison
Party2:Nonpartisan candidate
Popular Vote2:2,007
Percentage2:17.83%
Map Size:x250px
Governor
Before Election:Jonathan Jennings
Before Party:Nonpartisan candidate
After Election:Jonathan Jennings
After Party:Nonpartisan candidate

The 1819 Indiana gubernatorial election took place August 2, 1819, under the provisions of the Constitution of Indiana. It was the second gubernatorial election in the State of Indiana. Jonathan Jennings, the incumbent governor, was reelected with 81.5% of the vote to 17.8% for his nearest competitor, Lieutenant Governor Christopher Harrison.[1] The election was held concurrently with elections for lieutenant governor and members of the Indiana General Assembly.[2]

Jennings had been elected governor in 1816 following ratification of the state's first constitution. His administration pursued policies to promote internal improvements and the development of a state banking system, creation of a state university, and adoption of a personal liberty law to protect free people of color living in Indiana.[3] In 1818 he became embroiled in a controversy surrounding his acceptance of a federal commission to negotiate the Treaty of St. Mary's. The Indiana constitution specified that no person "holding any office under the United States ... shall exercise the office of governor."[4] Jennings' political enemies interpreted this to mean he had vacated the governorship by accepting the federal commission. Harrison accepted this interpretation, and declaring himself the rightful governor, appealed to the General Assembly for support. The legislature, however, declined to pursue impeachment proceedings against Jennings, and Jennings forcefully denied that he had relinquished his position as governor. In the general election, Jennings handily defeated Harrison and two other challengers.[5]

At the time of the election, the Democratic-Republican Party was dominant nationally and politics in the new state operated on a nonpartisan basis. The geographic factionalism of the territorial period had mostly dissipated. Campaigns were conducted through the circulation of handbills and other print materials and public appearances at militia musters, log rollings, and other community events.[6] As it was considered untoward to advocate directly for one's own election, candidates usually disguised their visits with voters as being personal in nature, claiming private business had brought them to the vicinity en route to some other destination.[7]

Results

Results by county

The official returns appear to have been lost.[8] Unofficial results published in various newspapers in the weeks following the election include figures from most, but not all, counties. Significantly, the sum of the votes for Harrison in the surviving unofficial results is greater than the total recorded in the journal of the Indiana House of Representatives by a factor of 970 votes. The returns from Crawford and Lawrence were rejected by the General Assembly on technical grounds.[9]

The surviving results, as compiled in A New Nation Votes, are as follows.[10]

CountyJonathan Jennings
Nonpartisan		Christopher Harrison
Nonpartisan		Samuel Carr
Nonpartisan		Peter Buell Allen
Nonpartisan		County total
VotesPercentVotesPercentVotesPercentVotesPercent
Clark61863.84%31132.13%394.03%align=center colspan=2no popular votes968
Crawfordalign=center colspan=2unknownalign=center colspan=2unknownalign=center colspan=2unknownalign=center colspan=2unknownunknown
Daviessalign=center colspan=2unknownalign=center colspan=2unknownalign=center colspan=2unknownalign=center colspan=2unknownunknown
Dearborn1,01586.31%16113.69%align=center colspan=2no popular votesalign=center colspan=2no popular votes1,176
Duboisalign=center colspan=2unknownalign=center colspan=2unknownalign=center colspan=2unknownalign=center colspan=2unknownunknown
Fayette63196.93%203.07%align=center colspan=2no popular votesalign=center colspan=2no popular votes651
Floyd31198.11%61.89%align=center colspan=2no popular votesalign=center colspan=2no popular votes317
Franklin1,08797.31%302.69%align=center colspan=2no popular votesalign=center colspan=2no popular votes1,117
Gibson8519.54%35080.46%align=center colspan=2no popular votesalign=center colspan=2no popular votes435
Harrison84795.71%384.29%align=center colspan=2no popular votesalign=center colspan=2no popular votes885
Jacksonalign=center colspan=2unknownalign=center colspan=2unknownalign=center colspan=2unknownalign=center colspan=2unknownunknown
Jefferson44761.49%26035.76%202.75%align=center colspan=2no popular votes727
Jennings18996.92%63.08%align=center colspan=2no popular votesalign=center colspan=2no popular votes195
Knox14427.53%37972.47%align=center colspan=2no popular votesalign=center colspan=2no popular votes523
Lawrencealign=center colspan=2unknownalign=center colspan=2unknownalign=center colspan=2unknownalign=center colspan=2unknownunknown
Monroealign=center colspan=2unknownalign=center colspan=2unknownalign=center colspan=2unknownalign=center colspan=2unknownunknown
Orange40170.23%17029.77%align=center colspan=2no popular votesalign=center colspan=2no popular votes571
Owenalign=center colspan=2unknownalign=center colspan=2unknownalign=center colspan=2unknownalign=center colspan=2unknownunknown
Perryalign=center colspan=2unknownalign=center colspan=2unknownalign=center colspan=2unknownalign=center colspan=2unknownunknown
Pike9972.79%3727.20%align=center colspan=2no popular votesalign=center colspan=2no popular votes136
Posey41081.51%9318.49%align=center colspan=2no popular votesalign=center colspan=2no popular votes503
Randolph1,10178.20%30721.80%align=center colspan=2no popular votesalign=center colspan=2no popular votes1,408
Ripley15998.76%21.24%align=center colspan=2no popular votesalign=center colspan=2no popular votes161
Spencer16996.02%73.98%align=center colspan=2no popular votesalign=center colspan=2no popular votes176
Sullivan24971.97%9728.03%align=center colspan=2no popular votesalign=center colspan=2no popular votes346
Switzerland51698.85%61.15%align=center colspan=2no popular votesalign=center colspan=2no popular votes522
Vanderburgalign=center colspan=2unknownalign=center colspan=2unknownalign=center colspan=2unknownalign=center colspan=2unknownunknown
Vigo34992.82%277.18%align=center colspan=2no popular votesalign=center colspan=2no popular votes376
Warrick12567.93%5932.07%align=center colspan=2no popular votesalign=center colspan=2no popular votes184
Washington33534.68%63165.32%align=center colspan=2no popular votesalign=center colspan=2no popular votes966
Waynealign=center colspan=2unknownalign=center colspan=2unknownalign=center colspan=2unknownalign=center colspan=2unknownunknown

Bibliography

Notes and References

  1. Riker and Thornbrough, p. 138
  2. Riker and Thornbrough, p. 186
  3. Riker, p. 233
  4. Constitution of 1816
  5. Riker, p. 234
  6. Riker and Thornbrough, p. xvi
  7. Riker, p. 233
  8. Riker and Thornbrough, p. 138
  9. A New Nation Votes
  10. A New Nation Votes

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