1855 Wisconsin gubernatorial election

The 1855 gubernatorial election in Wisconsin was held on November 6, 1855. Republican Party candidate Coles Bashford was declared the winner after a court challenge, defeating Democratic incumbent William A. Barstow.

1855 Wisconsin gubernatorial election
November 6, 1855
 
Nominee Coles Bashford William A. Barstow
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote 36,198 36,355
Percentage 49.86% 50.08%

County results
Bashford:      50–60%      60–70%      70–100%
Barstow:      50–60%      60–70%      70–100%

Governor before election

William A. Barstow
Democratic

Elected Governor

Coles Bashford
Republican

Barstow was initially declared the winner of the election, having apparently received just over 50% of the vote.[1] However, Bashford and the Wisconsin Attorney General, George Baldwin Smith, filed suit in the Wisconsin Supreme Court in the case Atty. Gen. ex rel. Bashford v. Barstow.[2][3] They alleged that Barstow created fraudulent election returns in several fake precincts in Wisconsin's northern counties. The court found that Bashford had won the election, and was entitled to the governorship.[2] Before the court could formally remove him from office, Barstow resigned, leaving his Lieutenant Governor Arthur MacArthur Sr. as acting Governor, until Bashford was sworn in four days later.[2]

Results


Wisconsin Gubernatorial Election, 1855
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, November 6, 1855
Republican Coles Bashford 36,198 49.86%
Democratic William A. Barstow 36,355 50.08% -4.53%
Scattering 45 0.06%
Total votes 72,598 100.0% +30.38%
Republican gain from Democratic

Results by County

Bashford
Republican
Barstow
Democratic
Margin County Total[4]
County # % # % # % #
Adams 376 38.10% 611 61.90% 235 23.81% 987
Bad Ax 298 49.34% 306 50.66% 8 1.32% 604
Brown 335 62.50% 201 37.50% 134 25.00% 536
Buffalo 115 93.50% 8 6.50% 107 86.99% 123
Calumet 377 54.24% 318 45.76% 59 8.49% 695
Chippewa 121 61.11% 77 38.89% 44 22.22% 198
Clark 45 86.54% 7 13.46% 38 73.08% 52
Columbia 906 36.37% 1,585 63.63% 679 27.26% 2,491
Crawford 163 57.60% 120 42.40% 43 15.19% 283
Dane 2,367 49.86% 2,380 50.14% 13 0.27% 4,747
Dodge 2,364 51.94% 2,187 48.06% 177 3.89% 4,551
Door 0 0.00% 81 100.0% 81 100.0% 81
Douglas 88 91.67% 8 8.33% 80 83.33% 96
Dunn 124 74.25% 43 25.75% 81 48.50% 167
Fond du Lac 1,722 46.40% 1,989 53.60% 267 7.19% 3,711
Grant 1,112 41.19% 1,588 58.81% 476 17.63% 2,700
Green 600 34.82% 1,123 65.18% 523 30.35% 1,723
Iowa 1,092 58.71% 768 41.29% 324 17.42% 1,860
Jackson 114 39.31% 176 60.69% 62 21.38% 290
Jefferson 1,558 47.15% 1,746 52.85% 188 5.69% 3,304
Kenosha 610 38.01% 995 61.99% 385 23.99% 1,605
La Crosse 343 46.73% 391 53.27% 48 6.54% 734
Lafayette 1,199 61.74% 743 38.26% 456 23.48% 1,942
Manitowoc 941 64.06% 528 35.94% 413 28.11% 1,469
Marathon 104 54.17% 88 45.83% 16 8.33% 192
Marquette 858 41.96% 1,187 58.04% 329 16.09% 2,045
Milwaukee 4,627 72.57% 1,749 27.43% 2,878 45.14% 6,376
Monroe 92 30.16% 213 69.84% 121 39.67% 305
Oconto 131 59.82% 88 40.18% 43 19.63% 219
Outagamie 382 47.99% 414 52.01% 32 4.02% 796
Ozaukee 1,586 85.41% 271 14.59% 1,315 70.81% 1,857
Pierce 55 27.23% 147 72.77% 92 45.54% 202
Polk 149 88.17% 20 11.83% 129 76.33% 169
Portage 235 36.21% 414 63.79% 179 27.58% 649
Racine 1,344 51.91% 1,245 48.09% 99 3.82% 2,589
Richland 186 29.34% 448 70.66% 262 41.32% 634
Rock 1,018 27.45% 2,690 72.55% 1,672 45.09% 3,708
Sauk 482 33.66% 950 66.34% 468 32.68% 1,432
Shawano 38 46.34% 44 53.66% 6 7.32% 82
Sheboygan 1,306 54.10% 1,108 45.90% 198 8.20% 2,414
Trempealeau 18 27.69% 47 72.31% 29 44.62% 65
Walworth 1,112 34.84% 2,080 65.16% 968 30.33% 3,192
Washington 2,301 81.34% 528 18.66% 1,773 62.67% 2,829
Waukesha 1,512 39.42% 2,324 60.58% 812 21.17% 3,836
Waupaca 806 67.67% 385 32.33% 421 35.35% 1,191
Waushara 248 34.16% 478 65.84% 230 31.68% 726
Winnebago 1,138 40.23% 1,691 59.77% 553 19.55% 2,829

References

  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. "Attorney General ex rel. Bashford v. Barstow" (PDF). Wisconsin Court System. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
  3. "The Legislature's Relationship with the Courts: The Role of Judicial Review in Legislating Wisconsin" (PDF). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. May 2016. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
  4. Dubin, Michael J. (2003). United States gubernatorial elections, 1776-1860. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland.


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