1848–49 Massachusetts gubernatorial election

The 1848–49 Massachusetts gubernatorial election consisted of an initial popular election held on November 13, 1848^[1] that was followed by a legislative vote held on January 8, 1949. Incumbent Whig Governor George N. Briggs was reelected.

Quick facts Nominee, Party ...

← 1847

November 13, 1848 (popular election)
January 8, 1849 (legislative vote)

1849 →


Nominee	George N. Briggs	Stephen C. Phillips	Caleb Cushing
Party	Whig	Free Soil	Democratic
Popular election	61,640 49.69%	36,011 29.03%	25,323 20.41%
Senate vote	unanimous 100%

Popular election results by county
Briggs: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70%
Phillips: 40–50%

Governor before election

George N. Briggs
Whig

Elected Governor

George N. Briggs
Whig

Democratic nomination

The Democratic convention was held on September 6, 1848, at Worcester City Hall.^[2]

Results

More information Party, Candidate ...

Democratic gubernatorial nomination^[2]^[3]^[4]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Caleb Cushing	382	60.0
	Democratic	Frederick Robinson	220	34.5
	Democratic	George S. Boutwell	16	2.5
	Democratic	Robert Rantoul Jr.	11	1.7
	Democratic	G. P. Osgood	4	6.3
	Democratic	Benjamin F. Hallett	2	3.1
	Democratic	Isaac Davis	1	1.6
	Democratic	H. H. Childs	1	1.6
Total votes			637

Whig nomination

The Whig convention was held on September 13, 1848, at Worcester. Governor George N. Briggs and Lieutenant Governor John Reed Jr. were re-nominated by acclamation.^[5]^[6]

General election

Candidates

George N. Briggs, Whig, incumbent Governor
Stephen C. Phillips, Free Soil, former U.S. Representative, former Mayor of
Salem, Massachusetts
Caleb Cushing, Democratic, former U.S. Representative, former United States Minister to China
Frederick Robinson, Independent Democrat, warden of the Massachusetts State Prison, former President of the Massachusetts Senate^[7]

Results

More information Party, Candidate ...

1848 Massachusetts gubernatorial election^[8]^[9]^[10]^[11]^[12]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Whig	George N. Briggs	61,640	49.69%
	Free Soil	Stephen C. Phillips	36,011	29.03%
	Democratic	Caleb Cushing	25,323	20.41%
	Independent Democrat	Frederick Robinson	475	0.38%
	Scattering		606	0.49%
Majority			25,629	20.66%
Turnout			124,055

Legislative election

As no candidate received a majority of the vote, the Massachusetts General Court was required to decide the election. Under Article III of the Constitution of Massachusetts, the House of Representatives chose two candidates from the top four vote-getters, the Senate electing the Governor from the House's choice.^[13]

The legislative election was held on January 8, 1849.^[14]^[15]

More information Party, Candidate ...

Legislative election^[16]^[17]^[18]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Whig	George N. Briggs	unanimous
	Whig hold

References

[1]
"Miscellaneous Political Intelligence". The New York herald. New York, N.Y. November 13, 1848. p. 2. Retrieved October 31, 2022.
[2]
"Democratic State Convention at Worcester". The daily union. Washington, D.C. September 24, 1848. p. 2. Retrieved October 31, 2022.
[3]
"Caleb Cushing Nominated for Governor of Massachusetts". The New York herald. New York, N.Y. September 7, 1848. p. 2. Retrieved October 31, 2022.
[4]
"Massachusetts Democratic State Convention". Richmond enquirer. Richmond, Va. September 8, 1848. p. 2. Retrieved October 31, 2022.
[5]
"Massachusetts Whig State Convention". Alexandria gazette. Alexandria, D.C. September 15, 1848. p. 2. Retrieved October 31, 2022.
[6]
"The Whigs of Massachusetts". The Middlebury galaxy. Middlebury, Vt. September 19, 1848. p. 3. Retrieved October 31, 2022.
[7]
Biographical Sketches of Representative Citizens of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. American Series of Popular Biographies (Massachusetts ed.). Boston: Graves & Steinbarger. 1901. pp. 455–456.
[8]
"MA Governor, 1848". Our Campaigns. Retrieved October 31, 2022.
[9]
Glashan, Roy R. (1979). American Governors and Gubernatorial Elections, 1775-1978. Westport, CT: Meckler Books. pp. 142–143. ISBN 0-930466-17-9.
[10]
Gubernatorial Elections, 1787-1997. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly Inc. 1998. p. 58. ISBN 1-56802-396-0.
[11]
Dubin, Michael J. (2003). United States Gubernatorial Elections, 1776-1860: The Official Results by State and County. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. p. 116. ISBN 978-0-7864-1439-0.
[12]
Kallenbach, Joseph E.; Kallenbach, Jessamine S., eds. (1977). American State Governors, 1776-1976. Vol. I. Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.: Oceana Publications, Inc. p. 278. ISBN 0-379-00665-0.
[13]
"Massachusetts Constitution". The General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved October 31, 2022.
[14]
"Massachusetts". The examiner. Louisville, Ky. January 20, 1849. p. 3. Retrieved October 31, 2022.
[15]
"Massachusetts". The Mississippi Creole. Canton, Miss. January 26, 1849. p. 2. Retrieved October 31, 2022.
[16]
Kallenbach, Joseph E.; Kallenbach, Jessamine S., eds. (1977). American State Governors, 1776-1976. Vol. I. Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.: Oceana Publications, Inc. p. 294. ISBN 0-379-00665-0.
[17]
"News of the Day". Alexandria gazette. Alexandria, D.C. January 11, 1849. p. 2. Retrieved October 31, 2022.
[18]
"Briggs and Reed". The Middlebury galaxy. Middlebury, Vt. January 16, 1849. p. 2. Retrieved October 31, 2022.

Results

Candidates

Results

Legislative election

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