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1854 Vermont gubernatorial election

1854 Vermont gubernatorial election
← 1853 September 5, 1854 (1854-09-05) 1855 →
 
Nominee Stephen Royce Merritt Clark
Party Whig Democratic
Popular vote 27,926 15,084
Percentage 62.6% 33.8%
County results
Royce:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%
Governor before election

John S. Robinson
Democratic

Elected Governor

Stephen Royce
Whig

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The 1854 Vermont gubernatorial election for governor of Vermont took place on September 5.[1] The Whig nominee was Stephen Royce, former Chief Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court.[2] The Democratic nominee was Merritt Clark,[3] and Lawrence Brainerd ran as the nominee of the Free Soil Party[4] even as he was one of the organizers of the new anti-slavery Republican Party[5] and appeared as a Whig candidate for the Vermont Senate on the ballot in Franklin County.[6] Whig William C. Kittredge was nominated for governor against his wishes by advocates of the Temperance movement[7] and Democrat Horatio Needham also attracted the support of some Free Soil advocates.[4]

With the Whig Party splintering nationally over the slavery issue, the Republican Party was formed as the main abolitionist party, and Royce was endorsed by the new organization.[8] In the September voting, Free Soil advocates, Republicans, and anti-slavery Whigs largely backed Royce, who was easily elected with 62.6 percent to 33.9 for Clark and 1.4 for Brainerd.[9] Kittredge, Needham, William R. Shafter, and other write-in candidates all received less than one percent each.[9] Royce took the oath of office and began a one-year term on October 12.[10]

General election

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Results

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1854 Vermont gubernatorial election[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Stephen Royce 27,926 62.6%
Democratic Merritt Clark 15,084 33.8%
Free Soil Lawrence Brainerd 619 1.4%
Free Soil Horatio Needham 302 0.7%
Whig William C. Kittredge 293 0.7%
William R. Shafter 255 0.5%
Write-in Other 135 0.3%
Total votes '44,614' '100'

References

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  1. ^ Walton, Eliakim Persons, ed. (September 1, 1854). "Election September 5". Vermont Watchman & State Journal. Montpelier, VT. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ "Whig State Ticket: For Governor, Stephen Royce of Berkshire". The Brattleboro Eagle. Brattleboro, VT. September 1, 1854. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Nominations of the Democratic State Convention". The Burlington Weekly Sentinel. Burlington, VT. June 22, 1854. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ a b Armstrong, Howard E. (1955). Vermont Legislative Directory and State Manual. Montpelier, VT: Vermont Secretary of State. p. 273 – via Google Books.
  5. ^ Walton, E. P. Jr., ed. (August 11, 1854). "State Ticket --- All Right!". Vermont Watchman & State Journal. Montpelier, VT. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Franklin County Convention". St. Albans Messenger. St. Albans, VT. July 20, 1854. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "A Rebuke". Vermont Journal. Windsor, VT. September 8, 1854. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ Thompson, Daniel P., ed. (August 17, 1854). "Republican State Ticket: For Governor, Stephen Royce". The Freeman. Montpelier, VT. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ a b c Vermont House of Representatives (1855). Journal of the House of Representatives of the State of Vermont. Montpelier, VT: E. P. Walton, Jr. p. 484 – via Google Books.
  10. ^ "Editorial Correspondence No. 1". The Burlington Free Press. Burlington, VT. October 14, 1854. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.