1839 Rhode Island gubernatorial election

The 1839 Rhode Island gubernatorial election was held on April 17, 1839.^[1]^[2]

Incumbent Whig Governor William Sprague ran for re-election for a second term against Democratic nominee Nathaniel Bullock and Liberal nominee Tristram Burges.

Since no candidate received a majority in the popular vote, the senior Senator, Samuel Ward King, acted as Governor for the term.^[3]

General election[]

Candidates[]

Nathaniel Bullock, Democratic, former U.S. Collector of Customs^[4]
Tristram Burges, Liberal Prox (abolitionist),^[5] Whig nominee for Governor in 1836
William Sprague, Whig, incumbent Governor

Results[]

1839 Rhode Island gubernatorial election^[6]^[7]^[8]^[9]^[10]^[11]^[a]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Whig	William Sprague (incumbent)	2,908	47.11%
	Democratic	Nathaniel Bullock	2,771	44.89%
	Federalist Party	Tristram Burges	457	7.40%
	Scattering		37	0.60%
Majority			137	2.22%
Turnout			6,173
	Whig hold		Swing

Notes[]

^ Some sources give Sprague's vote as 2,901^[3]^[12] or 2,948.^[13]^[14]

References[]

^ "State Election". Herald of the times. Newport, R.I. April 18, 1839. p. 2. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
^ "The Election". The Rhode-Island Republican. Newport, R.I. April 24, 1839. p. 2. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
^ ^a ^b "R. I. Legislature: (May Session – Newport)". Herald of the times. Newport, R.I. May 9, 1839. pp. 1–2. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
^ "Bullock family of Massachusetts". The Political Graveyard. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
^ DeSimone, Russell J.; Schofield, Daniel C. (2015). "Rhode Island Election Tickets: A Survey" (PDF). Kingston, Rhode Island: The University of Rhode Island. p. Figure 1-170. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
^ "RI Governor, 1839". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
^ Dubin, Michael J. (2003). United States Gubernatorial Elections, 1776-1860: The Official Results by State and County. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. p. 235. ISBN 978-0-7864-1439-0.
^ Glashan, Roy R. (1979). American Governors and Gubernatorial Elections, 1775-1978. Westport, CT: Meckler Books. pp. 270–271. ISBN 0-930466-17-9.
^ Kallenbach, Joseph E.; Kallenbach, Jessamine S., eds. (1977). American State Governors, 1776-1976. Vol. I. Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.: Oceana Publications, Inc. p. 512. ISBN 0-379-00665-0.
^ Manual with Rules and Orders for the Use of the General Assembly of the State of Rhode Island, 1888-89. Providence: E. L. Freeman & Co., Printers to the State. 1888. p. 101.
^ DeSimone, Russell (2 November 2018). "Rhode Island in the 1800s Failed to Elect a Governor in Eleven General Elections". smallstatebighistory.com. The Online Review of Rhode Island History. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
^ The Democrat's Almanac, and Political Register, for 1840. New York: The Evening Post. 1840. p. 35.
^ Gubernatorial Elections, 1787-1997. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly Inc. 1998. p. 76. ISBN 1-56802-396-0.
^ "Rhode Island". The New-Yorker. Vol. VII, no. 8. New York: H. Greeley & Co. May 11, 1839. p. 122. Retrieved 23 October 2021.

[15] Some sources give Sprague's vote as 2,901^[3]^[12] or 2,948.^[13]^[14]

[1] "State Election". Herald of the times. Newport, R.I. April 18, 1839. p. 2. Retrieved 23 October 2021.

[2] "The Election". The Rhode-Island Republican. Newport, R.I. April 24, 1839. p. 2. Retrieved 23 October 2021.

[Herald-3] "R. I. Legislature: (May Session – Newport)". Herald of the times. Newport, R.I. May 9, 1839. pp. 1–2. Retrieved 23 October 2021.

[4] "Bullock family of Massachusetts". The Political Graveyard. Retrieved 23 October 2021.

[5] DeSimone, Russell J.; Schofield, Daniel C. (2015). "Rhode Island Election Tickets: A Survey" (PDF). Kingston, Rhode Island: The University of Rhode Island. p. Figure 1-170. Retrieved 23 October 2021.

[6] "RI Governor, 1839". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 23 October 2021.

[7] Dubin, Michael J. (2003). United States Gubernatorial Elections, 1776-1860: The Official Results by State and County. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. p. 235. ISBN 978-0-7864-1439-0.

[8] Glashan, Roy R. (1979). American Governors and Gubernatorial Elections, 1775-1978. Westport, CT: Meckler Books. pp. 270–271. ISBN 0-930466-17-9.

[9] Kallenbach, Joseph E.; Kallenbach, Jessamine S., eds. (1977). American State Governors, 1776-1976. Vol. I. Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.: Oceana Publications, Inc. p. 512. ISBN 0-379-00665-0.

[10] Manual with Rules and Orders for the Use of the General Assembly of the State of Rhode Island, 1888-89. Providence: E. L. Freeman & Co., Printers to the State. 1888. p. 101.

[11] DeSimone, Russell (2 November 2018). "Rhode Island in the 1800s Failed to Elect a Governor in Eleven General Elections". smallstatebighistory.com. The Online Review of Rhode Island History. Retrieved 23 October 2021.

[12] The Democrat's Almanac, and Political Register, for 1840. New York: The Evening Post. 1840. p. 35.

[13] Gubernatorial Elections, 1787-1997. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly Inc. 1998. p. 76. ISBN 1-56802-396-0.

[14] "Rhode Island". The New-Yorker. Vol. VII, no. 8. New York: H. Greeley & Co. May 11, 1839. p. 122. Retrieved 23 October 2021.

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