1847 Mississippi gubernatorial election
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The 1847 Mississippi gubernatorial election was held on November 1, 1847, to elect the governor of Mississippi. Joseph W. Matthews, a Democrat won against Whig Alexander Blackburn Bradford.[1][2]
November 1, 1847
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 County results Matthews: 50â60% 60â70% 70â80% 80â90% 90â100% Bradford: 50â60% 60â70% No data/vote: | |||||||||||||||||
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General election
With the question of slavery in the background, Mississippi politics slowly became dominated by the issue. Joseph W. Matthews, an outspoken defender of slavery and military leader, was nominated as the Democratic candidate. Alexander B. Bradford, major of the Mississippi militia in the Mexican-American War and lawyer, was nominated for the Whig ticket, a party with a reputation for infrastructure improvements and a moderate slavery stance. Matthews won by a two-to-one margin.[2][3]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Joseph W. Matthews | 26,995 | 64.8% | |
| Whig | Alexander Blackburn Bradford | 13,997 | 33.6% | |
| Scattering | 682[a] | 1.6% | ||
| Total votes | 41,674 | 100.00 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
Notes
- Of the scattering votes, 615 were cast for Jefferson Davis.[4]