The 1848 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on May 8, 1848. This was the election for the first

Governor of Wisconsin The governor of Wisconsin is the head of government of Wisconsin and the commander-in-chief of the state's army and air forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Wiscons ...

, which became a U.S. state that year, as it was held concurrent with a public referendum to ratify the Constitution of Wisconsin. Democrat Nelson Dewey, of Grant County, won the election with nearly 56% of the vote. Dewey defeated Whig Party candidate John Hubbard Tweedy, of Milwaukee.

Democratic Party

Nelson Dewey was a prominent lawyer and real-estate investor in Grant County, Wisconsin. He did extensive business with the lead-mining industry, which was a major component of the economy of the Wisconsin Territory. He had been a member of nearly every session of the Wisconsin Territorial Legislature, first as a member of the Territorial Assembly, from 1838 to 1842, then as a member of the Territorial Council from 1842 to 1846. He served as Speaker of the Territorial Assembly in 1840, and President of the Territorial Council in 1846. Dewey was chosen as a compromise candidate at the Democratic Party Convention after delegates became deadlocked between the lead-mining region's preferred candidate, Hiram Barber, and the eastern region's preferred candidate, Morgan Lewis Martin.

Other candidates

Hiram Barber Hiram Barber (January 25, 1800 – October 23, 1888) was an American pioneer, politician, and businessman in Dodge County, Wisconsin. Biography Born in Hebron, New York, Barber taught school and was a merchant. He studied law and was admitted ...

, of Dodge County, was a businessman and investor. He had been a delegate to Wisconsin's first constitutional convention in 1846. Prior to moving to Wisconsin, he had been a Judge in Warren County, New York, for 14 years. *

Morgan Lewis Martin Morgan Lewis Martin (March 31, 1805December 10, 1887) was a delegate to the United States House of Representatives from Wisconsin Territory during the 29th United States Congress (1845–1847). He also served as a member of the Wisconsin St ...

, of Brown County, had most recently served as President of Wisconsin's second constitutional convention. Prior to this, he had served as the Wisconsin Territory's non-voting representative to the United States House of Representatives for the

29th Congress The 29th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1845, ...

. He served in the Wisconsin Territorial Legislature from 1838 to 1844, and had served in the Michigan Territorial Legislature from 1831 to 1835, when the land which is now Wisconsin was a part of the

Michigan Territory The Territory of Michigan was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from June 30, 1805, until January 26, 1837, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Michigan. Detroit w ...

Whig Party

John Hubbard Tweedy was, at the time of the 1848 election, the non-voting representative of the Wisconsin Territory to the United States House of Representatives for the

30th Congress The 30th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1847, ...

. He had been a delegate to Wisconsin's first constitutional convention, and had served in the Wisconsin Territorial Assembly during the second session of the third legislature (Winter of 1841-1842).

Independent candidate

Charles Durkee was a merchant, and one of the founders of Southport (now Kenosha, Wisconsin). He was a member of the Wisconsin Territorial Assembly for the first legislature (1836 to 1838).

Results

, colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", General Election, May 8, 1848

References

Notes

Gubernatorial

1848 1848 is historically famous for the wave of revolutions, a series of widespread struggles for more liberal governments, which broke out from Brazil to Hungary; although most failed in their immediate aims, they significantly altered the polit ...

Wisconsin 1848 in Wisconsin May 1848 events {{Wisconsin-election-stub