1856 Missouri gubernatorial election

1856 Missouri gubernatorial election

← 1852 August 4, 1856 1857 (special) →

Nominee Trusten Polk Robert C. Ewing Thomas H. Benton Party Democratic Know Nothing Independent Democrat Popular vote 46,993 40,589 27,618 Percentage 40.79% 35.23% 23.97%

Governor before election Sterling Price Democratic Elected Governor Trusten Polk Democratic

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v t e

The 1856 Missouri gubernatorial election was held on August 2, 1852, the Democratic nominee, Trusten Polk, defeated Know-Nothing candidate Robert C. Ewing (running under the American Party label), and former Senator Thomas H. Benton. Benton ran as an Independent Democrat under the label "Benton Democrat."

In February 1857, Trusten Polk would be elected to the United States Senate; he therefore resigned the governorship, was replaced by Lt. Gov. Hancock Lee Jackson, and forced a special election to be called for August 1857 to fill the remainder of the term.^[1]

General election[edit]

Candidates[edit]

• Thomas Hart Benton, former U.S. Senator (1821–51) and U.S. Representative (1853–55) from St. Louis (Benton Democratic)
• Robert C. Ewing (American)
• Trusten Polk, St. Louis attorney (Democratic)

Results[edit]

References[edit]