1855 Wisconsin gubernatorial election
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The 1855 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 1855. Republican Party candidate Coles Bashford was declared the winner after a court challenge, defeating Democratic incumbent William A. Barstow.
November 6, 1855
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 County results Bashford: 50â60% 60â70% 70â80% Barstow: 50â60% 60â70% 70â80% | |||||||||||||||||
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Barstow was initially declared the winner of the election, having apparently received just over 50% of the vote.[1] However, Bashford and the Wisconsin Attorney General, George Baldwin Smith, filed suit in the Wisconsin Supreme Court in the case Atty. Gen. ex rel. Bashford v. Barstow.[2][3] They alleged that Barstow's allies had created fraudulent election returns in several fake precincts in Wisconsin's northern counties. The court found that Bashford had won the election, and was entitled to the governorship.[2] Before the court could formally remove him from office, Barstow resigned, leaving his Lieutenant Governor Arthur MacArthur Sr., as acting Governor, until Bashford was sworn in four days later.[2]
Results
These are the results as originally certified by the Board of State Canvassers. Barstow ultimately did take office for the new term prior to the court rendering its decision that Bashford was the true winner.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | William A. Barstow (incumbent) | 36,355 | 50.08% | â4.53% | |
| Republican | Coles Bashford | 36,198 | 49.86% | ||
| Scattering | 45 | 0.06% | |||
| Majority | 157 | 0.22% | |||
| Total votes | 72,598 | 100.00% | |||
| Democratic hold | Swing | -15.08% | |||
Results by county
There were no votes from Kewaunee County, La Crosse County, La Pointe County,[a] and St. Croix County. Dunn County would not vote for a Democrat again until 1970 and Waupaca County would not vote for a Democrat again until 1932.
| County[4] | William A. Barstow Democratic |
Coles Bashford Republican |
Scattering Write-in |
Margin | Total votes cast | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Adams | 376 | 38.10% | 611 | 61.90% | 0 | 0.00% | -235 | -23.81% | 987 |
| Bad Ax | 298 | 49.34% | 306 | 50.66% | 0 | 0.00% | -8 | -1.32% | 604 |
| Brown | 335 | 62.50% | 201 | 37.50% | 0 | 0.00% | 134 | 25.00% | 536 |
| Buffalo | 115 | 93.50% | 8 | 6.50% | 0 | 0.00% | 107 | 86.99% | 123 |
| Calumet | 377 | 54.24% | 318 | 45.76% | 0 | 0.00% | 59 | 8.49% | 695 |
| Chippewa | 121 | 61.11% | 77 | 38.89% | 0 | 0.00% | 44 | 22.22% | 198 |
| Clark | 45 | 86.54% | 7 | 13.46% | 0 | 0.00% | 38 | 73.08% | 52 |
| Columbia | 906 | 36.34% | 1,580 | 63.38% | 7 | 0.28% | -674 | -27.04% | 2,493 |
| Crawford | 163 | 57.60% | 120 | 42.40% | 0 | 0.00% | 43 | 15.19% | 283 |
| Dane | 2,367 | 49.73% | 2,387 | 50.15% | 6 | 0.13% | -20 | -0.42% | 4,760 |
| Dodge | 2,364 | 51.97% | 2,185 | 48.03% | 0 | 0.00% | 179 | 3.93% | 4,549 |
| Door | 0 | 0.00% | 81 | 100.00% | 0 | 0.00% | -81 | -100.00% | 81 |
| Douglas | 88 | 91.67% | 8 | 8.33% | 0 | 0.00% | 80 | 83.33% | 96 |
| Dunn | 124 | 74.25% | 43 | 25.75% | 0 | 0.00% | 81 | 48.50% | 167 |
| Fond du Lac | 1,722 | 46.40% | 1,989 | 53.60% | 0 | 0.00% | -267 | -7.19% | 3,711 |
| Grant | 1,112 | 41.19% | 1,588 | 58.81% | 0 | 0.00% | -476 | -17.63% | 2,700 |
| Green | 600 | 34.78% | 1,123 | 65.10% | 2 | 0.12% | -523 | -30.32% | 1,725 |
| Iowa | 1,092 | 58.71% | 768 | 41.29% | 0 | 0.00% | 324 | 17.42% | 1,860 |
| Jackson | 114 | 39.31% | 176 | 60.69% | 0 | 0.00% | -62 | -21.38% | 290 |
| Jefferson | 1,558 | 47.07% | 1,746 | 52.75% | 6 | 0.18% | -188 | -5.68% | 3,310 |
| Kenosha | 610 | 38.01% | 995 | 61.99% | 0 | 0.00% | -385 | -23.99% | 1,605 |
| Lafayette | 1,199 | 61.74% | 743 | 38.26% | 0 | 0.00% | 456 | 23.48% | 1,942 |
| Manitowoc | 941 | 64.06% | 528 | 35.94% | 0 | 0.00% | 413 | 28.11% | 1,469 |
| Marathon | 104 | 53.61% | 88 | 45.36% | 2 | 1.03% | 16 | 8.25% | 194 |
| Marquette | 858 | 41.91% | 1,187 | 57.99% | 2 | 0.10% | -329 | -16.07% | 2,047 |
| Milwaukee | 4,627 | 72.52% | 1,749 | 27.41% | 4 | 0.06% | 28.78 | 45.11% | 6,380 |
| Monroe | 92 | 30.16% | 213 | 69.84% | 0 | 0.00% | -121 | -39.67% | 305 |
| Oconto | 131 | 59.82% | 88 | 40.18% | 0 | 0.00% | 43 | 19.63% | 219 |
| Outagamie | 382 | 47.69% | 414 | 51.69% | 5 | 0.62% | -32 | -4.00% | 801 |
| Ozaukee | 1,586 | 85.36% | 271 | 14.59% | 1 | 0.05% | 1,315 | 70.78% | 1,858 |
| Pierce | 55 | 27.23% | 147 | 72.77% | 0 | 0.00% | -92 | -45.54% | 202 |
| Polk | 149 | 88.17% | 20 | 11.83% | 0 | 0.00% | 129 | 76.33% | 169 |
| Portage | 235 | 36.21% | 414 | 63.79% | 0 | 0.00% | -179 | -27.58% | 649 |
| Racine | 1,344 | 51.91% | 1,245 | 48.09% | 0 | 0.00% | 99 | 3.82% | 2,589 |
| Richland | 186 | 29.34% | 448 | 70.66% | 0 | 0.00% | -262 | -41.32% | 634 |
| Rock | 1,018 | 27.43% | 2,690 | 72.49% | 3 | 0.08% | -1,672 | -45.06% | 3,711 |
| Sauk | 482 | 33.61% | 950 | 66.25% | 2 | 0.14% | -468 | -32.64% | 1,434 |
| Shawano | 38 | 46.34% | 44 | 53.66% | 0 | 0.00% | -6 | -7.32% | 82 |
| Sheboygan | 1,306 | 54.08% | 1,108 | 45.88% | 1 | 0.04% | 198 | 8.20% | 2,415 |
| Trempealeau | 18 | 27.69% | 47 | 72.31% | 0 | 0.00% | -29 | -44.62% | 65 |
| Walworth | 1,112 | 34.83% | 2,081 | 65.17% | 0 | 0.00% | -969 | -30.35% | 3,193 |
| Washington | 2,301 | 81.31% | 528 | 18.66% | 1 | 0.04% | 1,773 | 62.65% | 2,830 |
| Waukesha | 1,512 | 39.42% | 2,324 | 60.58% | 0 | 0.00% | -812 | -21.17% | 3,836 |
| Waupaca | 806 | 67.67% | 385 | 32.33% | 0 | 0.00% | 421 | 35.35% | 1,191 |
| Waushara | 248 | 34.16% | 478 | 65.84% | 0 | 0.00% | -230 | -31.68% | 726 |
| Winnebago | 1,138 | 40.18% | 1,691 | 59.71% | 3 | 0.11% | -553 | -19.53% | 2,832 |
| Total | 36,335 | 50.08% | 36,198 | 49.86% | 45 | 0.06% | 157 | 0.22% | 72,598 |
Counties that flipped from Whig to Democratic
Counties that flipped from Independent to Democratic
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
Counties that flipped from Independent to Republican
Notes
- Some sources credit Barstow with 38 votes in La Pointe County, although these are not listed on the official canvass. The 1856 Tribune Almanac indicates that La Pointe County voted with Douglas County in this election.