The 1861 Iowa gubernatorial election was held on 8 October 1861 in order to elect the governor of Iowa. Incumbent Republican governor Samuel J. Kirkwood was re-elected against Democratic nominee William H. Merritt and several other candidates.[1]
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 County results Kirkwood: 50-60% 60-70% 70-80% 80-90% 90-100% Merritt: 50-60% 60-70% 70-80% 80-90% 90-100% No Data/Votes: | |||||||||||||||||
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General election
editOn election day, 8 October 1861, incumbent Republican governor Samuel J. Kirkwood won re-election by a margin of 17,058 votes against his foremost opponent Democratic nominee William H. Merritt, thereby holding Republican control over the office of governor. Kirkwood was sworn in for his second term on 3 January 1862.[2]
Results
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Samuel J. Kirkwood | 60,303 | 55.48 | |
| Democratic | William H. Merritt | 43,245 | 39.78 | |
| Democratic | Ben M. Samuels | 4,495 | 4.14 | |
| Democratic | Henry Clay Dean | 440 | 0.41 | |
| Democratic | Charles Mason | 142 | 0.13 | |
| Democratic | Lincoln Clark | 50 | 0.05 | |
| Scattering | 25 | 0.02 | ||
| Total votes | 108,700 | 100.00 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
References
edit- ^ "Samuel Jordan Kirkwood". National Governors Association. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
- ^ "IA Governor". ourcampaigns.com. 5 July 2008. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
- ^ Iowa General Assembly. Journal of the House of Representatives. 1862 sess., 3, accessed 28 November 2023