1864 Rhode Island gubernatorial election

A gubernatorial election was held in Rhode Island on April 3, 1864. The National Union incumbent governor James Y. Smith defeated the Democratic former U.S. representative from Rhode Island's 2nd congressional district George H. Browne and the Independent Union former mayor of Providence Amos C. Barstow.^[1]

Quick facts Nominee, Party ...

1864 Rhode Island gubernatorial election

← 1863 April 3, 1864 1865 â†’

Nominee James Y. Smith George H. Browne Amos C. Barstow Party National Union Democratic Independent Union Popular vote 8,836 7,312 1,348 Percentage 50.5% 41.8% 7.7%

County results Smith:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70% Browne:      40–50%

Governor before election James Y. Smith Republican Elected Governor James Y. Smith National Union

Close

Smith, a Radical Republican, was elected in 1863 with the support of the former governor William Sprague IV, who persuaded his coalition of conservatives and War Democrats to back the Republican candidate against his Democratic and Constitutional Union challenger, William C. Cozzens.^[2] Smith's re-election became embroiled in the campaign for the National Union presidential nomination when supporters of Sprague's father-in-law, the U.S. treasury secretary Salmon P. Chase, secured his endorsement by the National Union state convention. Supporters of the incumbent president Abraham Lincoln deserted Smith in favor of Barstow, who ran as an Independent Unionist. Many of Sprague's former conservative allies broke with him to support Browne, a War Democrat and a colonel in the Union Army.^[3]