The 1844 New Jersey gubernatorial election was held on October 8, 1844. Whig nominee Charles C. Stratton defeated Democratic nominee John Renshaw Thomson with 50.94% of the vote.
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 Stratton: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Thomson: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% | |||||||||||||||||
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Background
editThis was the first election held under the New Jersey Constitution of 1844, which was adopted on June 29 and reformed the state government, notably establishing an independent executive branch. Before 1844, New Jersey Governors were elected by a majority of the New Jersey Legislative Council and held office as a member of that body.[1] Although the new constitution formally lifted the constitutional property requirement for suffrage, it added race and sex requirements; only white males over the age of 21 were eligible to vote in this election.[2]
General election
editCandidates
edit- Charles C. Stratton, former U.S. Representative from Swedesboro (Whig)
- John Renshaw Thomson, businessman and delegate to the 1844 Constitutional Convention from Princeton (Democratic)
Results
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whig | Charles C. Stratton | 37,985 | 50.94% | |
| Democratic | John Renshaw Thomson | 36,581 | 49.06% | |
| Total votes | 74,566 | 100.00% | ||
| Majority | 1,404 | 1.88% | ||
| Turnout | 74,566 | |||
| Whig gain from Democratic | ||||
Results by county
edit| County | Stratton | Thomson | Total | Margin | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | Percent | Votes | Percent | Votes | Votes | Percent | |
| Atlantic | 426 | 36.07% | 755 | 63.93% | 1,181 | -329 | -27.86% |
| Bergen | 774 | 36.08% | 1,371 | 63.92% | 2,145 | -597 | -27.84% |
| Burlington | 3,675 | 55.25% | 2,977 | 44.75% | 6,652 | 698 | 9.50% |
| Camden | 1,502 | 57.15% | 1,126 | 42.85% | 2,628 | 376 | 14.30% |
| Cape May | 750 | 72.46% | 285 | 27.54% | 1,035 | 465 | 44.92% |
| Cumberland | 1,567 | 53.96% | 1,337 | 46.04% | 2,904 | 230 | 7.92% |
| Essex | 5,385 | 59.86% | 3,611 | 40.14% | 8,996 | 1,774 | 19.72% |
| Gloucester | 1,484 | 64.66% | 811 | 35.34% | 2,295 | 673 | 29.32% |
| Hudson | 1,102 | 63.37% | 637 | 36.63% | 1,739 | 465 | 26.74% |
| Hunterdon | 2,545 | 43.91% | 3,251 | 56.09% | 5,796 | -706 | -12.18% |
| Mercer | 1,830 | 53.46% | 1,593 | 46.54% | 3,423 | 237 | 6.92% |
| Middlesex | 2,320 | 54.18% | 1,962 | 45.82% | 4,282 | 358 | 8.36% |
| Monmouth | 3,209 | 47.61% | 3,531 | 52.39% | 6,740 | -322 | -4.78% |
| Morris | 2,832 | 53.01% | 2,510 | 46.99% | 5,342 | 322 | 6.02% |
| Passaic | 1,534 | 56.21% | 1,195 | 43.79% | 2,729 | 339 | 12.42% |
| Salem | 1,791 | 54.40% | 1,501 | 45.60% | 3,292 | 290 | 8.80% |
| Somerset | 2,145 | 53.34% | 1,927 | 46.66% | 218 | 2,671 | 6.68% |
| Sussex | 1,274 | 27.14% | 3,421 | 72.86% | 4,695 | -2,147 | -45.72% |
| Warren | 1,640 | 37.10% | 2,780 | 62.90% | 4,420 | -1,140 | -25.80% |
| Total | 37,985 | 50.94% | 36,581 | 49.06% | 74,566 | 1,404 | 1.88% |
State Legislative Results
editThe Whigs were able to flip both houses of the state legislature, giving Stratton a trifecta that lasted his entire term.[5] In the General Assembly, Whigs were able to win 40 seats to the Democrats 18, a gain of 17 seats in the lower hose. Meanwhile, in the Senate, Whigs won 13 seats to the Democrats 6, a gain of 7.
References
edit- ^ "1776 State Constitution". Retrieved May 10, 2021.
- ^ "1844 State Constitution". Retrieved May 10, 2021.
- ^ Kalb, Deborah (December 24, 2015). Guide to U.S. Elections. CQ Press. ISBN 9781483380353. Retrieved February 17, 2016.
- ^ Dubin, Michael (January 1, 2001). United States Gubernatorial Elections, 1776-1860: The Official Results By State And County. MacFarland & Company Inc. ISBN 0786414391. Retrieved June 19, 2024.
- ^ Dubin, Michael (January 1, 2007). Party Affiliations in the State Legislature: A Year by Year Summary, 1796-2006. MacFarland & Company Inc. ISBN 9780786429141. Retrieved June 24, 2024.