1856 Massachusetts gubernatorial election

← 1855 November 4, 1856 (1856-11-04) 1857 →

Nominee Henry J. Gardner Erasmus Beach George W. Gordon Party Know Nothing Democratic Know Nothing Alliance Republican Popular vote 92,467 40,082 10,385 Percentage 58.92% 25.54% 6.62%

Governor before election Henry J. Gardner Know Nothing Elected Governor Henry J. Gardner Know Nothing

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v t e

The 1856 Massachusetts gubernatorial election on November 4. Incumbent Know-Nothing Governor Henry J. Gardner was re-elected to a third term. He benefited greatly from a deal with the state's new Republican Party, which agreed not to field a candidate in exchange for Gardner's support of presidential nominee John C. Frémont. With no serious challenger in the field against him, Gardner easily defeated Democrat Erasmus Beach and George W. Gordon, an American Party member running in support of the national ticket.

This was the last election in which the Whig Party participated.

Whig convention

Candidates

• Thomas Aspinwall, former U.S. consul at London (1816–54)
• Luther Vose Bell, Superintendent of McLean Asylum and candidate for U.S. Representative in 1852 and 1854

Know-Nothing convention

The American Party convention was held at Faneuil Hall, Boston, on July 24, 1856.

Candidates

• Henry J. Gardner, incumbent Governor

General election

Candidates

• Erasmus Beach, nominee for Governor in 1855 (Democratic)
• Luther Vose Bell, Superintendent of McLean Asylum (Whig)
• Henry J. Gardner, incumbent Governor (American)
• George W. Gordon ("Fillmore American")
• Josiah Quincy Jr., former Mayor of Boston (Independent)

Results

1856 Massachusetts gubernatorial election^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Know Nothing	Henry J. Gardner (incumbent)	92,467	58.92%	N/A
	Democratic	Erasmus D. Beach	40,082	25.54%	0.10
	Independent	George W. Gordon	10,385	6.62%	N/A
	Whig	Luther Vose Bell	7,075	4.51%	5.23
	Independent Republican	Josiah Quincy Jr.	5,625	3.59%	N/A
	Scattering	All others	1,291	0.82%	0.63
Total votes			136,488	100.00%
	Know Nothing hold		Swing