1846 Vermont gubernatorial election

Election

← 1845

September 1, 1846 (1846-09-01)

1847 →


Nominee	Horace Eaton	John Smith	Lawrence Brainerd
Party	Whig	Democratic	Free Soil
Popular vote	23,644	17,877	7,118
Percentage	48.5%	36.7%	14.6%

Governor before election

William Slade
Whig

Elected Governor

Horace Eaton
Whig

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The 1846 Vermont gubernatorial election took place on September 1, 1846,^[1] and resulted in the election of Whig Party candidate Horace Eaton to a one-year term as governor.^[2]

Statewide elections

In the race for governor, incumbent lieutenant governor Horace Eaton defeated Smith, a former member of the United States House of Representatives and Brainerd, a former member of the Vermont House of Representatives.^[3]

In the popular vote for lieutenant governor, Whig Leonard Sargeant defeated Democrat Truman B. Ransom and Free Soil candidate Jacob Scott.^[3] The vote totals were: Sargeant, 23,335 (47.4%); Ransom, 17,985 (36.6%); Scott, 7,801 (15.9%); scattering, 65 (0.1%).^[3]

The contest for state treasurer resulted in the election of Whig Elisha P. Jewett, who defeated Democrat Daniel Baldwin and Free Soil nominee Zenas Wood.^[3] Vote totals in the treasurer's race were: Jewett, 23,324 (48.2%); Baldwin, 17,847 (36.9%); Wood, 6,978 (14.4%); scattering, 192 (0.5%).^[3]

Because none of the popular vote winners achieved the 50 percent required by the Constitution of Vermont, the Vermont General Assembly was required to choose the winners.^[3] In most cases, the assembly selects the candidate who received a plurality of the vote.^[3] In the October 8, 1846 legislative elections, Eaton, Sargeant, and Jewett all won their contests.^[3] The reported vote totals were:^[3]

Governor

Necessary for a choice: 111

Results:

Eaton, 136

Smith, 75

Brainerd, 11

Lieutenant governor

Necessary for a choice: 112

Results:

Sargeant, 138

Ransom, 73

Scott, 12

Treasurer

Necessary for a choice: 111

Results:

Jewett, 138

Baldwin, 74

Wood, 12

Results

1846 Vermont gubernatorial election^[3]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Horace Eaton	23,644	48.5%	+ 1.4%
	Democratic	John Smith	17,877	36.7%	- 1.8%
	Free Soil	Lawrence Brainerd	7,118	14.6%	- 1.1%
		Scattering	64	0.02%	- 0.05%
Total votes			'*48,703'*	'*100'*	–

References

^ "To-Day: To-Day, Whigs of Old Addison, must find you early at the polls". Northern Galaxy. Middlebury, VT. September 1, 1846. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
^ Armstrong, Howard E. (1955). Vermont Legislative Directory and State Manual. Montpelier, VT: Vermont Secretary of State. p. 272 – via Google Books.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j Poland, J., ed. (October 15, 1846). "Vermont Legislature: October 8". The Green Mountain Freeman. Montpelier, VT. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.