1805 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election

The 1805 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election occurred on October 8, 1805. Incumbent governor Thomas McKean won a contentious election over the endorsed Democratic-Republican candidate, Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Simon Snyder.

1805 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election

← 1802 October 8, 1805 (1805-10-08) 1808 →
 
Nominee Thomas McKean Simon Snyder
Party Constitutionalist Democratic-Republican
Alliance Federalist
Popular vote 43,644 38,483
Percentage 53.1% 46.9%

County Results
McKean:      50-60%      60-70%      70-80%      80-90%
Snyder:      50-60%      60-70%      70-80%      80-90%
Unknown/No Vote:      

Governor before election

Thomas McKean
Constitutionalist

Elected Governor

Thomas McKean
Constitutionalist

Although the Democratic-Republicans united behind the McKean ticket in each of the prior two election cycles, by 1805, the party had divided into moderate and radical wings. The former sought to balance the political power of the traditional elite and the lower classes; this group additionally supported liberal economic policies. The latter sought to directly increase political and economic opportunities for poor and working men. After the radicals took control of the state legislature under Snyder, they clashed with the moderate aligned McKean. Democratic-Republican newspapers were dominated by radical interests, and the press vociferously denounced McKean's support for strong executive and judicial power. The governor formed a working alliance with the Federalists called "the quids" and began to purge radicals from appointed offices. McKean ultimately won reelection by a six point margin.[1]

Results edit

Pennsylvania gubernatorial election, 1805[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Tertium quids Thomas McKean (incumbent) 43,674 53.02
Democratic-Republican Simon Snyder 38,529 46.78
None James Ross 17 0.02
None Robert Rhea 8 0.01
None Benjamin Perry 7 0.01
None Conrade Snyder 7 0.01
None William Crawford 6 0.01
None John Spear 6 0.01
None Benjamin Beaty 4 0.00
None John MacGinley 4 0.00
None Simon MacKean 2 0.00
None Gideon Ousterhout 2 0.00
None Hugh Patterson 2 0.00
None Jacob Rider 2 0.00
None Jacob Sherman 2 0.00
None Samuel Smith 2 0.00
None John P. Arndt 1 0.00
None Jacob Bower 1 0.00
None Thomas Carothers 1 0.00
None Robert Coleman 1 0.00
None Joseph Debinder 1 0.00
None William Duane 1 0.00
None Hugh A. Dwyer 1 0.00
None John Franklin 1 0.00
None William Gilliland 1 0.00
None Joseph Gray 1 0.00
None Richard Gregory 1 0.00
None Jonathan Hood 1 0.00
None Thomas Jones 1 0.00
None John Loughead 1 0.00
None Moses MacClean 1 0.00
None John MacGinnis 1 0.00
None Thomas Meredith 1 0.00
None Peter Muhlenberg 1 0.00
None Thomas Paine 1 0.00
None Anthony Sheetz 1 0.00
None Edward Shippen 1 0.00
None Anthony Swifford 1 0.00
None William Walker 1 0.00
None David Watts 1 0.00
None Thomas Woriman 1 0.00
None William Woriman 1 0.00
None Blank or fictitious names 68 0.08
Total votes 82,368 100.00

References edit

  1. ^ Lampi, Philip. "Pennsylvania 1805 Governor". A New Nation Votes. Tufts University. Retrieved August 28, 2021.