New York state election, 1860

The 1860 New York state election was held on November 6, 1860, 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. Besides, the question of Negro suffrage was asked, and was answered in the negative with 197,503 votes for and 337,984 against it.

History

William Kelly was the candidate of the majority faction of the Democratic Party which supported Stephen A. Douglas for President. ^[1]

The "Breckinridge and Lane Democratic" state convention met on August 8 at Syracuse, New York, Henry S. Randall presided. James T. Brady (a Tammany man from New York City who had run for Attorney General on the Hard ticket in 1853) was nominated for Governor on the first ballot (vote:Brady 99, O'Connor 8, Greene C. Bronson 3, Brown 2, Lawrence 1, Kemble 1, Gideon J. Tucker 1). Henry K. Viele was nominated on the first ballot (vote: Viele 57, Edward Tompkins 56). The incumbent John M. Jaycox was re-nominated for Canal Commissioner by acclamation. Robert W. Allen was nominated for Prison Inspector on the first ballot. After the nominations, Daniel S. Dickinson made a speech. ^[2] Brady accepted the nomination in a letter dated on August 14.^[3]

Result

The whole Republican ticket was elected, an average of about 50,000 votes ahead of the combined Democratic vote. The incumbents Morgan and Campbell were re-elected. The incumbents Jaycox and Rhodes were defeated.

93 Republicans and 35 Democrats were elected for the session of 1861 to the New York State Assembly.

1860 state election results

Office	Republican ticket		Douglas Democratic ticket		Breckinridge Democratic ticket		Radical Abolitionist ticket
Governor	Edwin D. Morgan	358,272	William Kelly[4]	294,812	James T. Brady[5]	19,841	William Goodell
Lieutenant Governor	Robert Campbell	361,914	William C. Crain	293,572	Henry K. Viele	18,425	Sidney A. Beers
Canal Commissioner	Samuel H. Barnes	361,958	William W. Wright	293,853	John M. Jaycox	18,547	Zenas Brockett
Inspector of State Prisons	James K. Bates	359,457	William C. Rhodes	294,066	Robert W. Allen	18,550	Ellis Clizbe

Notes

1. ^ Hon. William Kelly Accepts the Nomination for Governor. in NYT on September 11, 1860
2. ^ POLITICAL MOVEMENTS - The Breckinridge and Lane Democratic State Convention in NYT on August 9, 1860
3. ^ THE BRECKINRIDGE DEMOCRACY - James T. Brady's Acceptance of the Nomination for Governor in NYT on August 30, 1860
4. ^ William Kelly (1807-1872), merchant and farmer, of Rhinebeck, state senator (8th D.) 1856-57, death notice in NYT on April 25, 1872
5. ^ James Topham Brady (1815-1869), lawyer, of New York City, also ran for Attorney General in 1853, obit in NYT on February 10, 1869

Sources

• Result in The Tribune Almanac for the Years 1838 to 1868 compiled by Horace Greeley
• Result in The Official State Canvass in NYT on December 10, 1860 (gives 367,958 for Barnes, which seems to be a typo)
• The tickets: THE ELECTION TO-MORROW in NYT on November 5, 1860

See also

New York gubernatorial elections