1848 New York state election explained

Election Name:1848 New York gubernatorial election
Country:New York
Flag Year:1778
Type:Presidential
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:1846 New York state election
Previous Year:1846
Next Election:1850 New York state election
Next Year:1850
Election Date:November 7, 1848
Nominee1:Hamilton Fish
Party1:Whig Party (United States)
Popular Vote1:218,776
Percentage1:47.6%
Nominee2:John Adams Dix
Party2:Free Soil Party
Colour2:87A96B
Popular Vote2:122,889
Percentage2:26.7%
Nominee3:Reuben H. Walworth
Party3:Democratic Party (United States)
Popular Vote3:116,907
Percentage3:25.4%
Map Size:350px
Governor
Before Election:John Young
Before Party:Whig Party (United States)
After Election:Hamilton Fish
After Party:Whig Party (United States)

The 1848 New York state election took place on November 7, 1848, to elect the governor, the lieutenant governor, a Canal Commissioner and an Inspector of State Prisons, as well as all members of the New York State Assembly.

History

The Hunker state convention met on September 5 in Syracuse. Walworth and O'Conor were nominated on the first ballot. The vote for governor was 98 for Walworth, 23 for Zadock Pratt, and 3 for Greene C. Bronson. The vote for lieutenant governor was 83 for O'Conor, 16 for Clinton, 6 for Nathan Dayton, 5 for Baldwin and 3 scattering.[1]

The Whig state convention met on September 13 in Utica. Fish was nominated for governor on the first ballot with 76 votes for him, 28 votes for Joshua A. Spencer, and only 20 votes for the incumbent John Young.[2]

The Barnburner Free Soil state convention was held on September 13 and 14 at the Court House in Utica. Dix and Gates were nominated by acclamation. The Liberty state convention also met on the same day in the same city, and after passing resolutions, the delegates walked to the Court House and sat with the Free Soil convention as honorary members.

Result

Due to the split of the Democratic Party, the whole Whig state ticket was elected.

106 Whigs, 15 Free Soilers and 7 Hunkers were elected to the New York State Assembly of the 72nd New York State Legislature.

1848 state election results
OfficeWhig ticketDem.-Barnburner/Free Soil ticketDem.-Hunker ticketLiberty ticket
GovernorHamilton Fish 218,776John Adams Dix122,889Reuben H. Walworth116,811William Goodell1,593
Lieutenant GovernorGeorge Washington Patterson222,970Seth Merrill Gates113,667Charles O'Conor116,907Robert Anderson1,520
Canal CommissionerCharles CookCharles Augustus WheatonCharles Sherman McLean
Inspector of State PrisonsAlexander H. WellsWilliam P. Angel

Notes

  1. https://books.google.com/books?id=aPpWAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA162 Niles' National Register
  2. https://books.google.com/books?id=aPpWAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA191 Niles' National Register

Sources

See also