The 1863 New York state election was held on November 3, 1863, to elect the Secretary of State, the State Comptroller, the Attorney General, the State Treasurer, the State Engineer, a Judge of the New York Court of Appeals, a Canal Commissioner and an Inspector of State Prisons, as well as all members of the New York State Assembly and the New York State Senate.
The Union state convention - Republicans and War Democrats which supported the Union and Abraham Lincoln's policy during the American Civil War - met on September 2 at Syracuse, New York. Ward Hunt was Temporary Chairman until the choice of Abraham Wakeman as President. Peter A. Porter was nominated for Secretary of State on the first ballot (vote: Porter 213, Chauncey Depew 140, Theophilus C. Callicot[1] 15). Thomas W. Olcott[2] for Comptroller, John Cochrane for Attorney General, George W. Schuyler for Treasurer, and Henry R. Selden [incumbent] for Judge of the Court of Appeals, were nominated by acclamation. Benjamin F. Bruce was nominated for Canal Commissioner on the first ballot (vote: Bruce 220, Stephen T. Hayt 131). The incumbent William B. Taylor was re-nominated for State Engineer on the first ballot (vote: Taylor 234, J. Platt Goodsell 67, F. A. Utter 26, Charles W. Wentz 10). The incumbent James K. Bates was re-nominated for Prison Inspector by acclamation.[3] When informed of his nomination, Colonel Porter, who was commanding his troops at Baltimore, declined to run because he "wanted to serve his country in the field."[4] Olcott also declined to run, and the State Committee substituted Depew and the incumbent Lucius Robinson on the Union ticket.
The Constitutional Union state convention met on September 9 but did not nominate a ticket.
The Democratic state convention met on September 10 at Albany, New York.
The whole Union ticket was elected.
The incumbents Robinson, Taylor, Selden and Bates were re-elected. The incumbents Lewis and Wright were defeated.
21 Unionists and 11 Democrats were elected to a two-year term (1864–65) in the New York State Senate.
82 Unionists and 46 Democrats were elected for the session of 1864 to the New York State Assembly.
| Office | Union ticket | Democratic ticket | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Secretary of State | Chauncey Depew | 314,347 | Daniel B. St. John | 284,942 | |
| Comptroller | Lucius Robinson | 314,236 | Sanford E. Church | 284,849 | |
| Attorney General | John Cochrane | 313,865 | Marshall B. Champlain | 284,762 | |
| Treasurer | George W. Schuyler | 314,303 | William B. Lewis | 284,618 | |
| State Engineer | William B. Taylor | 314,362 | Van Rensselaer Richmond | 284,738 | |
| Judge of the Court of Appeals | Henry R. Selden | 313,327 | William F. Allen | 283,532 | |
| Canal Commissioner | Benjamin F. Bruce | 313,840 | William W. Wright | 284,984 | |
| Inspector of State Prisons | James K. Bates | 314,093 | David B. McNeil | 284,980 | |