1861 Wisconsin gubernatorial election

1861 Wisconsin gubernatorial election
← 1859 November 5, 1861 1863 →
 
Nominee Louis P. Harvey Benjamin Ferguson
Party National Union Democratic
Popular vote 53,777 45,456
Percentage 54.18% 45.80%

County results
Harvey :      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90%
Ferguson:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%

Governor before election

Alexander W. Randall
Republican

Elected Governor

Louis P. Harvey
Republican

The 1861 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 1861. Republican Party candidate Louis P. Harvey won the election with 54% of the vote, defeating Democratic candidate Benjamin Ferguson.[1]

This was the first Wisconsin gubernatorial election to take place after the outbreak of the American Civil War, and Wisconsin Republicans reorganized under the Union Party banner during the war. Democrats accused them of using patriotism to paper over the state's economic troubles.[2]

Harvey won Calumet County and Kewaunee County; these counties would not vote for a Republican again until 1916 and 1896, respectively.

  1. ^ Joint Committee on Legislative Organization, Wisconsin Legislature (2015). Wisconsin Blue Book 2015-2016. Madison, Wisconsin: Wisconsin Department of Administration. pp. 699–701. ISBN 978-0-9752820-7-6.
  2. ^ Klement, Frank L. (1997). "6. Banks and Bonds, Business and Politics". Wisconsin in the Civil War: The Home Front and the Battle Front, 1861-1865. Wisconsin Historical Society Press. ISBN 9780870206269. Retrieved June 10, 2019.