1838 Republic of Texas presidential election

1838 Republic of Texas presidential election

← 1836 September 3, 1838 1841 →
 
Nominee Mirabeau Lamar Robert Wilson
Party Nonpartisan Nonpartisan
Popular vote 6,995 252
Percentage 96.5% 3.5%

President before election

Sam Houston
Nonpartisan

Elected President

Mirabeau Lamar
Nonpartisan

The 1838 Republic of Texas presidential election was the second presidential election. It was held on September 3, 1838. By a provision of the constitution, the term of office of the first president was limited to two years, without his being eligible for re-election; succeeding presidents were to hold their office for three years.

The contest was held between Mirabeau Lamar, the vice president of the Republic of Texas and Robert Wilson, the Republic of Texas Senator for Harrisburg and Liberty. Although both candidates were considered nonpartisan, the two were representative of competing factions. Because Texas law did not allow consecutive terms for presidents, incumbent Sam Houston could not run for re-election during this time. Lamar was considered Houston's rival, and although such differences between Houston and Lamar were at the time considered mostly personal in nature, Wilson was considered to be running on behalf of Houston's oppositional faction.

Wilson was at a large disadvantage because he did not announce his candidacy until well after Lamar did, and only because two other previous candidates Peter W. Grayson and James Collinsworth had died earlier in the campaign process. Because the likelihood of Wilson defeating Lamar was considered so improbable, many considered Lamar to be running unopposed.