The 1842 Connecticut gubernatorial election was held on April 4, 1842. Former
Speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives and
Democratic
Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to:
Politics
*A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people.
*A member of a Democratic Party:
**Democratic Party (United States) (D)
**Democratic ...
nominee
Chauncey Fitch Cleveland was elected, defeating incumbent
governor and
Whig nominee
William W. Ellsworth
William Wolcott Ellsworth (November 10, 1791 – January 15, 1868) was a Yale-educated attorney who served as the 30th Governor of Connecticut, a three-term United States Congressman, a justice of the State Supreme Court.
Biography
Born in W ...
with 49.94% of the vote.
Cleveland won a plurality of the vote, but fell just short of a majority, by 107 votes. The state constitution at the time required the
Connecticut General Assembly decide the election if no candidate won a majority of the vote. The state legislature voted 139 to 68 to elect Cleveland the governor.
[
"https://www.nga.org/governor/chauncey-fitch-cleveland/ Gov. Chauncey Fitch Cleveland", ''National Governors Association'', retrieved 09-17-2020]
This was the first appearance of the
Liberty Party in a
Connecticut governor's race, and the first of
Francis Gillette
Francis Gillette (December 14, 1807 – September 30, 1879) was a politician from Connecticut, USA. He was the father of actor and playwright William Gillette and politician and editor Edward H. Gillette.
Gillette was born in Old Windsor, ...
's ten attempts at seeking the governorship.
General election
Candidates
Major party candidates
*Chauncey Fitch Cleveland, Democratic
*William W. Ellsworth, Whig
Minor party candidates
*Francis Gillette, Liberty
Results
References
1842
Events
January–March
* January
** Michael Alexander takes office, as the first appointee to the Anglican-German Bishopric in Jerusalem.
** American medical student William E. Clarke of Berkshire Medical College becomes the first pe ...
Connecticut
Gubernatorial
April 1842 events
United States gubernatorial elections in the 1840s
1842 in Connecticut
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