The 1851 Connecticut gubernatorial election was held on April 7, 1851.[1] It was a rematch of the 1850 Connecticut gubernatorial election. Incumbent governor and Democratic Party nominee Thomas H. Seymour defeated former state legislator and Whig nominee Lafayette S. Foster with 48.94% of the vote.
![]() | ||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||
![]() County Results Seymour: 40–50% 50–60% Foster: 40–50% | ||||||||||||||||||||
|
Seymour won a plurality of the vote, but he did not receive a majority. As a result, the Connecticut General Assembly elected the governor, per the state constitution. The Whig Party had a majority in the Connecticut State house, but they were divided over their choice. Seymour won the vote over Foster by a mere one-vote margin, 122 to 121, in the General Assembly, and became the governor.[2]
General election
editCandidates
editMajor party candidates
- Thomas H. Seymour, Democratic
- Lafayette S. Foster, Whig
Minor party candidates
- John Boyd, Free Soil
Results
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Thomas H. Seymour (incumbent) | 30,077 | 48.94% | ||
Whig | Lafayette S. Foster | 28,856 | 46.95% | ||
Free Soil | John Boyd | 2,530 | 4.12% | ||
Plurality | 1,221 | ||||
Turnout |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Thomas H. Seymour (incumbent) | 122 | 50.21% | ||
Whig | Lafayette S. Foster | 121 | 49.79% | ||
Majority | 1 | ||||
Democratic hold | Swing |
References
edit- ^ "Correspondence of The Republic". The republic. Washington, D.C. April 5, 1851. p. 3. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
- ^ "Memorial Sketch of Lafayette S. Foster", Franklin Press (1881),
- ^ Dubin, Michael J. (2003). United States Gubernatorial Elections, 1776-1860: The Official Results by State and County. Jefferson: McFarland & Company. p. 24. ISBN 9780786414390.