1855 Ohio gubernatorial election

The 1855 Ohio gubernatorial election was held on October 9, 1855. Incumbent Democratic Governor of Ohio William Medill became governor after the resignation of Reuben Wood to accept a consulship, and Lt. Governor Medill became elected in his own right in 1853. The 1855 election was one of the first major tests of the fledgling Republican Party, then still a coalition of various anti-slavery forces, including former rival Democrats and Whig members. This election led them to quickly dominate Ohio politics for the next half-century.

1855 Ohio gubernatorial election

← 1853 October 9, 1855 1857 →

Nominee Salmon Chase William Medill Allen Trimble Party Republican Democratic Know Nothing Popular vote 146,770 131,019 24,276 Percentage 48.59% 43.37% 8.04%

County Results Chase   40-50%   50–60%   60-70%   70-80% Medill   30-40%   40-50%   50–60%   60-70% Trimble   30-40%   40-50%

Governor before election William Medill Democratic Elected Governor Salmon Chase Republican

The election is also unique in that it was a contest of three Governors, past, present, and future. With Allen Trimble having served in the 1820s, William Medill serving at the time of the election, and Salmon Chase succeeding Medill. Trimble proved to be somewhat of a spoiler candidate, leaving Chase to win with only a plurality of the votes.

Republican convention

Candidates

• Salmon Chase, U.S. Senator and former Cincinnati City Councilman
• Joseph R. Swan, Associate Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court
• Hiram Griswold, future defense attorney for John Brown

Results

1855 Republican convention^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Salmon Chase	225	60.98%
	Republican	Joseph R. Swan	102	27.64%
	Republican	Hiram Griswold	42	11.38%
Total votes			369	100.00%

General election

Results

Ohio gubernatorial election, 1855^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Salmon Chase	146,770	48.59%
	Democratic	William Medill (incumbent)	131,019	43.37%
	Know Nothing	Allen Trimble	24,276	8.04%
Majority			15,751	5.21%
Turnout			302,065
	Republican gain from Democratic		Swing

References

1. Smith, Joseph Patterson (1898). History of the Republican party in Ohio. Chicago: Lewis Publishing Company. p. 36. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
2. Dubin, Michael J. (2003). United States Gubernatorial Elections, 1776-1860: The Official Results by State and County. Jefferson: McFarland & Company. pp. 211–212. ISBN 9780786414390.