1860 Vermont gubernatorial election

1860 Vermont gubernatorial election

← 1859 September 4, 1860 (1860-09-04) 1861 →

Nominee Erastus Fairbanks John Godfrey Saxe Robert Harvey Party Republican Douglas Democratic Breckinridge Democratic Popular vote 34,188 11,795 2,115 Percentage 71.0% 24.5% 4.5%

County results Fairbanks:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%

Governor before election Hiland Hall Republican Elected Governor Erastus Fairbanks Republican

The 1860 Vermont gubernatorial election for governor of Vermont was held on Tuesday, September 4.^[1] In keeping with the "Mountain Rule", incumbent Republican Hiland Hall was not a candidate for a third one-year term.^[2][3] The Republican nominee was former Governor Erastus Fairbanks.^[2] With the Democratic Party fracturing nationally over the slavery issue, John Godfrey Saxe, the Democratic nominee against Hall in 1859, ran as a supporter of Stephen A. Douglas for president.^[4] Robert Harvey ran as a supporter of Democratic presidential candidate John C. Breckinridge.^[4]

Vermont continued to strongly oppose the continuation of slavery and its backing of the Republican Party's abolitionist platform was unwavering.^[2][4] Fairbanks easily defeated both Democrats to win a one-year term.^[2] He took his oath of office on October 12.^[5]

General election

Results

1860 Vermont gubernatorial election^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Erastus Fairbanks	34,188	71.0%
	Douglas Democratic	John Godfrey Saxe	11,795	24.5%
	Breckinridge Democratic	Robert Harvey	2,115	4.5%
	Write-in		3	0.0%
Total votes			48,101	100.0%

References

1. "National Republican Nominations". The Caledonian. St. Johnsbury, VT. August 31, 1860. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
2. Armstrong, Howard E. (1955). Vermont Legislative Directory and State Manual. Montpelier, VT: Vermont Secretary of State. p. 273 – via Google Books.
3. Hand, Samuel B. (2003). "Mountain Rule Revisited" (PDF). Vermont History. Montpelier, VT: Vermont Historical Society. pp. 140, 143.
4. Miller, Richard F., ed. (2013). States at War. Vol. 1. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England. p. 564. ISBN 978-1-6116-8324-0 – via Google Books.
5. "Legislature of Vermont: Joint Assembly". Vermont Chronicle. Bellows Falls, VT. October 16, 1860. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.