1851 Connecticut gubernatorial election

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.

1851 Connecticut gubernatorial election

← 1850 April 7, 1851 1852 →

Nominee Thomas H. Seymour Lafayette S. Foster Party Democratic Whig Electoral vote 122 121 Popular vote 30.077 28,856 Percentage 48.94% 46.95%

County Results Seymour:      40–50%      50–60% Foster:      40–50%

Governor before election Thomas H. Seymour Democratic Elected Governor Thomas H. Seymour Democratic

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

Candidates

Major party candidates

• Thomas H. Seymour, Democratic
• Lafayette S. Foster, Whig

Minor party candidates

• John Boyd, Free Soil

Results

1851 Connecticut gubernatorial election^[3]

Party		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

1851 Connecticut gubernatorial election, contingent General Assembly election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Thomas H. Seymour (incumbent)	122	50.21%
	Whig	Lafayette S. Foster	121	49.79%
Majority			1
	Democratic hold		Swing

References

1. "Correspondence of The Republic". The republic. Washington, D.C. April 5, 1851. p. 3. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
2. "Memorial Sketch of Lafayette S. Foster", Franklin Press (1881),
3. Dubin, Michael J. (2003). United States Gubernatorial Elections, 1776-1860: The Official Results by State and County. Jefferson: McFarland & Company. p. 24. ISBN 9780786414390.