1860 Vermont gubernatorial election

1860 Vermont gubernatorial election

← 1859 September 4, 1860 (1860-09-04) 1861 →
 
Nominee Erastus Fairbanks John Godfrey Saxe Robert Harvey
Party Republican Democratic Democratic
Popular vote 34,188 11,795 2,115
Percentage 71.0% 24.5% 4.5%

County results
Fairbanks:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%

Governor before election

Hiland Hall
Republican

Elected Governor

Erastus Fairbanks
Republican

The 1860 Vermont gubernatorial election for governor of Vermont was held on Tuesday, September 4.[1] In keeping with the "Mountain Rule", incumbent Republican Hiland Hall was not a candidate for a third one-year term.[2][3] The Republican nominee was former Governor Erastus Fairbanks.[2] With the Democratic Party fracturing nationally over the slavery issue, John Godfrey Saxe, the Democratic nominee against Hall in 1859, appeared on the ballot as a supporter of Stephen A. Douglas for president.[4] Robert Harvey appeared as a supporter of Democratic presidential candidate John C. Breckinridge.[4]

Vermont continued to strongly oppose the continuation of slavery and its backing of the Republican Party's abolitionist platform was unwavering.[2][4] Fairbanks easily defeated both Democrats to win a one-year term.[2] He took his oath of office on October 12.[5]

  1. ^ "National Republican Nominations". The Caledonian. St. Johnsbury, VT. August 31, 1860. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ a b c d Armstrong, Howard E. (1955). Vermont Legislative Directory and State Manual. Montpelier, VT: Vermont Secretary of State. p. 273 – via Google Books.
  3. ^ Hand, Samuel B. (2003). "Mountain Rule Revisited" (PDF). Vermont History. Montpelier, VT: Vermont Historical Society. pp. 140, 143.
  4. ^ a b c Miller, Richard F., ed. (2013). States at War. Vol. 1. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England. p. 564. ISBN 978-1-6116-8324-0 – via Google Books.
  5. ^ "Legislature of Vermont: Joint Assembly". Vermont Chronicle. Bellows Falls, VT. October 16, 1860. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.