| Election Name: | 1853 California gubernatorial election |
| Type: | presidential |
| Previous Election: | 1851 California gubernatorial election |
| Previous Year: | 1851 |
| Next Election: | 1855 California gubernatorial election |
| Next Year: | 1855 |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Election Date: | September 7, 1853 |
| Image1: | John Bigler, 1850.jpg |
| Nominee1: | John Bigler |
| Party1: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote1: | 38,940 |
| Percentage1: | 50.97% |
| Nominee2: | William Waldo |
| Party2: | Whig Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote2: | 37,454 |
| Percentage2: | 49.03% |
| Governor | |
| Before Election: | John Bigler |
| Before Party: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| After Election: | John Bigler |
| After Party: | Democratic Party (United States) |
The 1853 California gubernatorial election was held on September 7, 1853, to elect the governor of California. Incumbent governor John Bigler successfully ran for reelection, winning over Whig nominee William Waldo in a close race.
| County | John Bigler Democratic | William Waldo Whig | Margin | Total votes cast | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | % | % | |||||||||||||
| Alameda | 551 | 56.86% | 418 | 43.14% | 133 | 13.73% | 969 | ||||||||
| Butte | 1,544 | 48.45% | 1,643 | 51.55% | -99 | -3.11% | 3,187 | ||||||||
| Calaveras | 2,545 | 53.50% | 2,212 | 46.50% | 333 | 7.00% | 4,757 | ||||||||
| Colusa | 165 | 38.73% | 261 | 61.27% | -96 | -22.54% | 426 | ||||||||
| Contra Costa | 324 | 49.85% | 326 | 50.15% | -2 | -0.31% | 650 | ||||||||
| El Dorado | 4,373 | 50.90% | 4,219 | 49.10% | 154 | 1.79% | 8,592 | ||||||||
| Humboldt | 233 | 48.95% | 243 | 51.05% | -10 | -2.10% | 476 | ||||||||
| Klamath | 387 | 46.13% | 452 | 53.87% | -65 | -7.75% | 839 | ||||||||
| Los Angeles | 477 | 68.14% | 223 | 31.86% | 254 | 36.29% | 700 | ||||||||
| Marin | 218 | 40.45% | 321 | 59.55% | -103 | -19.11% | 539 | ||||||||
| Mariposa | 845 | 51.06% | 810 | 48.94% | 35 | 2.11% | 1,655 | ||||||||
| Monterey | 255 | 74.56% | 87 | 25.44% | 168 | 49.12% | 342 | ||||||||
| Napa | 173 | 30.57% | 393 | 69.43% | -220 | -38.87% | 566 | ||||||||
| Nevada | 2,311 | 51.47% | 2,179 | 48.53% | 132 | 2.94% | 4,490 | ||||||||
| Placer | 1,929 | 53.21% | 1,696 | 46.79% | 233 | 6.43% | 3,625 | ||||||||
| Sacramento | 3,276 | 49.65% | 3,322 | 50.35% | -46 | -0.70% | 6,598 | ||||||||
| San Bernardino | 253 | 99.22% | 2 | 0.78% | 251 | 98.43% | 255 | ||||||||
| San Diego | 74 | 42.53% | 100 | 57.47% | -26 | -14.94% | 174 | ||||||||
| San Francisco | 5,480 | 50.02% | 5,475 | 49.98% | 5 | 0.05% | 10,955 | ||||||||
| San Joaquin | 1,250 | 51.44% | 1,180 | 48.56% | 70 | 2.88% | 2,430 | ||||||||
| San Luis Obispo | 9 | 6.16% | 137 | 93.84% | -128 | -87.67% | 146 | ||||||||
| Santa Barbara | 184 | 64.11% | 103 | 35.89% | 81 | 28.22% | 287 | ||||||||
| Santa Clara | 598 | 33.33% | 1,196 | 66.67% | -598 | -33.33% | 1,794 | ||||||||
| Santa Cruz | 341 | 44.29% | 429 | 55.71% | -88 | -11.43% | 770 | ||||||||
| Shasta | 817 | 52.44% | 741 | 47.56% | 76 | 4.88% | 1,558 | ||||||||
| Sierra | 1,906 | 55.71% | 1,515 | 44.29% | 391 | 11.43% | 3,421 | ||||||||
| Siskiyou | 819 | 56.33% | 635 | 43.67% | 184 | 12.65% | 1,454 | ||||||||
| Solano | 541 | 50.42% | 532 | 49.58% | 9 | 0.84% | 1,073 | ||||||||
| Sonoma | 404 | 38.66% | 641 | 61.34% | -237 | -22.68% | 1,045 | ||||||||
| Sutter | 253 | 51.32% | 240 | 48.68% | 13 | 2.64% | 493 | ||||||||
| Trinity | 748 | 56.28% | 581 | 43.72% | 167 | 12.57% | 1,329 | ||||||||
| Tulare | 54 | 66.67% | 27 | 33.33% | 27 | 33.33% | 81 | ||||||||
| Tuolumne | 2,759 | 53.92% | 2,358 | 46.08% | 401 | 7.84% | 5,117 | ||||||||
| Yolo | 434 | 47.90% | 472 | 52.10% | -38 | -4.19% | 906 | ||||||||
| Yuba | 2,410 | 51.33% | 2,285 | 48.67% | 125 | 2.66% | 4,695 | ||||||||
| Total | 38,940 | 50.97% | 37,454 | 49.03% | 1,486 | 1.95% | 76,394 | ||||||||