1869 Texas gubernatorial election

1869 Texas gubernatorial election
November 30, 1869
Turnout58.52% 11.75 pp[1]
 
Candidate Edmund J. Davis Andrew J. Hamilton
Party Republican Republican
Alliance Democratic
Popular vote 39,867 39,092
Percentage 50.25% 49.27%
County results[2]
Governor before election

Elisha M. Pease
Republican

Governor-elect

Edmund J. Davis
Republican

The 1869 Texas gubernatorial election was held to elect the governor of Texas. Incumbent Governor Elisha M. Pease, who had been appointed by military governor Philip Sheridan, did not run for re-election. Edmund J. Davis defeated former Governor Andrew J. Hamilton narrowly.

The election was one of the most turbulent and controversial in Texas history. Favoritism by the military for Davis over Hamilton caused Governor Pease to resign on September 30. General J.J. Reynolds ordered the drawing up of a new voter registration list, eliminating many of those who had qualified in 1867. Troops stationed at the polls probably prevented many Democrats from voting, only about half of the registered white voters actually cast a ballot, and many polling places were either not opened, or ordered closed. Irregularities were reported but never investigated, and official returns reported that Davis won by slightly less than 800 votes.[3]

Davis' narrow victory exemplified the tenuous hold Republicans had on the state even in the early stages of Reconstruction, indicating that their time in power likely would not last long.[4] This was the last election for governor of Texas won by the Republican Party until 1978; both candidates were nominally members of the party, with Hamilton being a Unionist and former Democrat and Davis being a Radical Republican.

General election

Candidates

Results

1869 Texas gubernatorial election[8]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Edmund J. Davis 39,867 50.25%
Republican Andrew J. Hamilton 39,092 49.27%
Independent Democrat Hamilton Stuart 380 0.48%
Total votes 79,339 100.00%

References

  1. ^ Portal to Texas History. "Texas Almanac of 1871". Retrieved January 30, 2024.
  2. ^ "Texas Almanac of 1870". Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  3. ^ "Texas Archival Resources Online". Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  4. ^ Foner, Eric (2014). Reconstruction: America's Unfinished Revolution, 1863–1877 (Updated ed.). New York, NY: HarperCollins. p. 414. ISBN 978-0-06-235451-8.
  5. ^ Moneyhon, Carl H. (1952). "TSHA | Edmund J. Davis". Texas State Historical Archive. Retrieved March 2, 2026.
  6. ^ The Galveston Daily News, October 5, 1869, page 2. newspapers.com/newspage/22731244/
  7. ^ Winkler, William Ernest (1916). "Platforms of political parties in Texas". Internet Archive. Retrieved March 2, 2026.
  8. ^ "Texas Almanac of 1870". Retrieved December 19, 2023.
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