1851 Wisconsin gubernatorial election

The 1851 gubernatorial election in Wisconsin was held on November 4, 1851. Whig candidate Leonard J. Farwell won the election with 51% of the vote, winning his first term as Governor of Wisconsin. Farwell defeated Democratic candidate Don A. J. Upham.[1]

1851 Wisconsin gubernatorial election

November 4, 1851

Nominee Leonard J. Farwell Don A. J. Upham Party Whig Democratic Popular vote 22,319 21,812 Percentage 50.51% 49.36%

County results Farwell:      30–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% Upham:      30–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%

Governor before election Nelson Dewey Democratic Elected Governor Leonard J. Farwell Whig

Democratic Party

Don A. J. Upham had been Mayor of Milwaukee for two years just prior to his run for Governor. Before that, he had served extensively in the government of the Wisconsin Territory prior to statehood—as a member of the Council (upper chamber of the legislature) and as President of the first Constitutional Convention.

Whig Party

Leonard J. Farwell owned a considerable amount of land in the Madison area and had invested in improvements. He had been active in establishing the Wisconsin Historical Society, the state agricultural society, the state public school system, and the state university.

Results

Wisconsin Gubernatorial Election, 1851[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
General Election, November 4, 1851
	Whig	Leonard J. Farwell	22,319	50.51%	+14.87%
	Democratic	Don A. J. Upham	21,812	49.36%	-3.06%
		Scattering	59	0.13%
Plurality			5,332	1.15%	-15.64%
Total votes			44,190	100.0%	+39.14%
	Whig gain from Democratic		Swing	17.94%

Results by County

	Farwell Whig		Upham Democratic		Margin		County Total[2]
County	#	%	#	%	#	%	#
Bad Ax	52	37.68%	86	62.32%	34	24.64%	138
Brown	299	48.46%	318	51.54%	19	3.08%	617
Calumet	63	32.81%	129	67.19%	66	34.38%	192
Columbia	714	49.17%	738	50.83%	24	1.65%	1,452
Crawford	48	28.07%	123	71.93%	75	43.86%	171
Dane	1,454	58.14%	1,047	41.86%	407	16.27%	2,501
Dodge	1,302	48.17%	1,401	51.83%	99	3.66%	2,703
Fond du Lac	877	50.34%	865	49.66%	12	0.69%	1,742
Grant	1,026	51.02%	985	48.98%	41	2.04%	2,011
Green	504	48.74%	530	51.26%	26	2.51%	1,034
Iowa	659	49.25%	679	50.75%	20	1.49%	1,338
Jefferson	1,121	49.32%	1,152	50.68%	31	1.36%	2,273
Kenosha	809	68.79%	367	31.21%	442	37.59%	1,176
La Crosse	68	23.69%	219	76.31%	151	52.61%	287
Lafayette	467	39.61%	712	60.39%	245	20.78%	1,179
Manitowoc	93	22.09%	328	77.91%	235	55.82%	421
Marathon	113	54.33%	95	45.67%	18	8.65%	208
Marquette	492	51.14%	470	48.86%	22	2.29%	962
Milwaukee	2,494	50.77%	2,418	49.23%	76	1.55%	4,912
Outagamie	225	36.82%	386	63.18%	161	26.35%	611
Portage	142	42.90%	189	57.10%	47	14.20%	331
Racine	1,087	59.30%	746	40.70%	341	18.60%	1,833
Richland	117	46.25%	136	53.75%	19	7.51%	253
Rock	1,771	60.82%	1,141	39.18%	630	21.63%	2,912
Sauk	474	49.17%	490	50.83%	16	1.66%	964
Sheboygan	552	35.34%	1,010	64.66%	458	29.32%	1,562
St. Croix	71	41.52%	100	58.48%	29	16.96%	171
Walworth	1,641	65.67%	858	34.33%	783	31.33%	2,499
Washington	520	22.81%	1,760	77.19%	1,240	54.39%	2,280
Waukesha	1,541	50.56%	1,507	49.44%	34	1.12%	3,048
Waupaca	58	46.77%	66	53.23%	8	6.45%	124
Waushara	195	69.40%	86	30.60%	109	38.79%	281
Winnebago	1,023	64.22%	570	35.78%	453	28.44%	1,593

References

1. Joint Committee on Legislative Organization, Wisconsin Legislature (2015). Wisconsin Blue Book 2015–2016. Madison, Wisconsin: Wisconsin Department of Administration. pp. 699–701. ISBN 978-0-9752820-7-6.
2. Dubin, Michael J. (2003). United States gubernatorial elections, 1776-1860. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland.