New York state election, 1870

The 1870 New York state election was held on November 8, 1870, to elect the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, the New York State Comptroller, two Canal Commissioners and an Inspector of State Prisons, as well as all members of the New York State Assembly.

History

The Republican state convention met on September 7 at Saratoga, New York. Due to the factional struggle between the followers of Roscoe Conkling and Reuben E. Fenton, the Temporary Chairman was not proposed and adopted by acclamation, as traditionally done, but was elected. George William Curtis, the Conkling man, was chosen by the delegates (vote: Curtis 220, Van Wyck 150). Thereupon, Conkling proposed Charles H. Van Wyck, the Fenton man, as President, which was adopted. Stewart L. Woodford was nominated for Governor on the second ballot (informal vote: Woodford 153, Horace Greeley 143, George William Curtis 104½; first ballot: Woodford 170½, Greeley 139, Curtis 87½; second ballot: Woodford 258, Greeley 105½, Curtis 20). DeWitt Clinton Littlejohn was nominated for Lieutenant Governor on the first ballot (vote: Littlejohn 196, Sigismund Kaufman 182). Abial W. Palmer was nominated for Comptroller by acclamation.^[1] On September 8, Absalom Nelson, of Erie County, was nominated for Canal Commissioner (full term) by acclamation. Alexander Barkley was nominated for Canal Commissioner (short term) on the first ballot (vote: Barkley: 302, Alonzo N. Welch 82). Littlejohn declined to run and suggested the choice of Kaufman, who was then nominated. John Parkhurst, the Warden of Clinton State Prison, was nominated for Prison Inspector by acclamation.^[2]

Result

The whole Democratic ticket, made up of the six incumbent officers, was re-elected.

65 Democrats and 63 Republicans were elected for the session of 1871 to the New York State Assembly.^[3]

1870 state election results

Office	Democratic ticket		Republican ticket
Governor	John T. Hoffman	399,490	Stewart L. Woodford	366,424
Lieutenant Governor	Allen C. Beach		Sigismund Kaufmann[4]
Comptroller[5]	Asher P. Nichols		Abiah W. Palmer[6]
Canal Commissioner (full term)	John D. Fay		Absalom Nelson
Canal Commissioner (short term)[7]	George W. Chapman		Alexander Barkley
Inspector of State Prisons	Solomon Scheu		John Parkhurst[8]

Notes

1. ^ THE SARATOGA CONVENTION in NYT on September 8, 1870
2. ^ POLITICAL.; REPUBLICAN CONVENTION in NYT on September 9, 1870
3. ^ THE ASSEMBLY in NYT on November 12, 1870
4. ^ Sigismund Kaufmann, lawyer from Saratoga, presidential elector in 1860 on Lincoln ticket
5. ^ To fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of William F. Allen, a Comptroller was elected to a one-year term.
6. ^ Abiah W. Palmer (b. 1835), state senator, bio in Life Sketches of State Officers (1868; page 130)
7. ^ To fill the vacancy caused by the death of Oliver Bascom, a Commissioner was elected to a one-year term.
8. ^ John Parkhurst, Warden of Clinton State Prison

Sources

• The Tickets: [1] in NYT on October 30, 1870

See also

New York gubernatorial elections