1855 Texas gubernatorial election

The 1855 Texas gubernatorial election was held on August 6, 1855, to elect the governor of Texas. Incumbent Governor Elisha M. Pease was reelected to a second term, winning 57% of the vote.

In 1855, the nativist American Party, also known as the "Know Nothings" surged in popularity in the state that up to this point had been dominated by the Democratic party.

Democrats were disjointed going into the election, and when the convention that was organized to re nominate incumbent governor Elisha M. Peace was assembled only 12 county representatives arrived. Even this small delegation was split between states rights and unionist factions.^{[citation needed]}

Meanwhile, posing as a river improvement convention the American party nominated David C. Dickson, the incumbent lieutenant governor, the convention also put forth a number of other candidates for statewide office.^[1] Some^[who?] think that Dickson's opposition to internal improvements is what got him the nomination.

Word of the Know-Nothing convention swept the state, alarming the Democratic party and prompting a "bombshell" convention which met on June 16. Governor Pease attended the convention and waived his views on the state system of internal improvements, vaguely promising to cooperate with the people.^{[citation needed]} Some members of the convention denounced all secret political factions, specifically condemning the Know-Nothings as enemies of the government.

The Know-Nothings had their strongest performances in East Texas^[1] where the internal improvements advocated by Pease were unpopular as it was thought that the east was paying for the bulk of the price.^[2]