After being shut-out in statewide races in the Election of 1857, Republicans came back to sweep them all in November 1859 led by gubernatorial nominee Alexander Ramsey on the top of the ticket. The Republicans won elections for Governor, Lieutenant Governor (Ignatius Donnelly), Secretary of State (James Baker), and Attorney General (Gordon Cole) were decided by single digits with Charles Scheffer winning his first of three terms for Treasurer by 10 points. Republicans also won the first of 10 consecutive elections to the U.S. House.
In December, incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator James Shields lost his seat when the state legislature elected former Minnesota Territorial Governor and Republican nominee Morton Wilkinson.
Elections
Date
Office
Stage
Winners
Details
12/15/1859
U.S. Senate
General
Morton S. Wilkinson (Republican) won with 79 votes (69.91%) and a winning margin of +40.71
Candidate
Gender
Party
Votes
Percent
Morton S. Wilkinson
Man
Republican
79
69.91
James Shields
Incumbent
Man
Democrat
33
29.20
Willis A. Gorman
Man
Democrat
1
0.88
Elected by the state legislature in a joint convention.
Wilkinson was an attorney from Stillwater, former territorial Representative (HD 02, 1849-1850), and former Ramsey County Register of Deeds (1851-1853).
Gorman was a former Minnesota Territorial Governor (1853-1857).
Cyrus Aldrich (Republican) won with 21,360 votes (27.58%) and a winning margin of +4.77
William Windom (Republican) won with 21,016 votes (27.13%) and a winning margin of +4.32
Alexander Ramsey (Republican) won with 21,335 votes (54.82%) and a winning margin of +9.64
Candidate
Gender
Party
Votes
Percent
Alexander Ramsey
Man
Republican
21,335
54.82
George L. Becker
Man
Democrat
17,582
45.18
Ramsey was a former U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania (1843-1847), Territorial Governor of Minnesota (1849-1853), Mayor of St. Paul (1855), and Republican nominee for Governor in 1857.
Becker was a lawyer from St. Paul, former St. Paul City Councilman (1854-1856) and former Mayor of St. Paul (1856). Becker was also a candidate in 1857 for one of an expected three at-large U.S. House seats and placed third, but when Minnesota received only two seats in 1858, the top three finishers drew lots and Becker came up short.
Ignatius Donnelly (Republican) won with 20,917 votes (54.21%) and a winning margin of +8.41
Candidate
Gender
Party
Votes
Percent
Ignatius Donnelly
Man
Republican
20,917
54.21
Sylvannus Lowry
Man
Democrat
17,670
45.79
Donnelly was an attorney, farmer, and author from Nininger who would later serve as a Republican U.S. Representative (1863-1869), Anti-Monopolist state Senator (SD 20, 1874-1878), Democratic state Senator (SD 20, 1878-1879), independent state Representative (HD 25, 1887-1889), Farmer’s Alliance state Senator (SD 24, 1891-1895), People’s state Representative (HD 24, 1897-1899), and People’s nominee for Vice President (1900).
Lowry was a newspaper editor from St. Cloud, Territorial Council member (District 5, 1852-1853), former St. Cloud Mayor (1856), and future state Senator (SD 03, 1862).