1859 Minnesota gubernatorial election
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The 1859 Minnesota gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1859, to elect the governor of Minnesota. Incumbent Democratic governor Henry Hastings Sibley was not seeking a second term.
November 8, 1859
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 County results Ramsey:
50â60%
60â70%
70â80%
80â90%
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Candidates
- Alexander Ramsey, former territorial governor and candidate for governor in 1857 (Republican)
- George Loomis Becker, former mayor of St. Paul (Democrat)
Campaigns
On July 18, 1859, Ramsey was summoned to the Republican State Convention. On July 20, he was nominated by the Convention to run for Governor a second time.[1]
Democratic nominee George L. Becker found himself unable to make the race very competitive, due to a lack of political experience and name recognition.[1]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Alexander Ramsey | 21,335 | 54.82 | |
| Democratic | George Loomis Becker | 17,582 | 45.18 | |
| Total votes | 38,917 | 100 | ||
| Republican gain from Democratic | ||||
The Becker performed better than expected, especially in his hometown of St. Paul, which resulted in some alarm from Ramsey while results were still being counted, until Ramsey ultimately won.[1]