1860 Election Cycle

Minnesotans got their first chance to vote in a presidential election and backed Abraham Lincoln by 29 points in the first of 13 consecutive wins by the Republican Party. Republicans also won back the offices of Auditor (Charles McIlrath) and Clerk of the Supreme Court (Andrew (A.J.) Van Vorhes) by nearly as large margins and swept both at-large U.S. House seats for the second consecutive cycle.

The Apportionment of 1860 reduced the number of senators from 37 to 21 and the number of representatives from 80 to 42. There were 21 senate districts eliminating multi-member districts for the upper legislative chamber.

Elections

Date Office Stage Winners Details
11/06/1860 State House, District 21 General William L. Banning (Republican) won with 592 votes (55.53%) and a winning margin of +13.60
Candidate Gender Party Votes Percent
William L. Banning Man Republican 592 55.53
Thomas Daily Man Democrat 447 41.93
Philip De Rochburne Man Independent 27 2.53
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11/06/1860 State House, District 14 General Alexander H. (A.H.) Butler (Republican) won with 1,690 votes (22.48%) and a winning margin of +9.82
Joseph (J.P.) Howe (Republican) won with 1,544 votes (20.54%) and a winning margin of +7.88
Charles D. (C.D.) Sherwood (Republican) won with 1,516 votes (20.17%) and a winning margin of +7.50
Candidate Gender Party Votes Percent
Alexander H. (A.H.) Butler Incumbent Man Republican 1,690 22.48
Joseph (J.P.) Howe Man Republican 1,544 20.54
Charles D. (C.D.) Sherwood Incumbent Man Republican 1,516 20.17
Calvin (C.W.) French Man Democrat 952 12.66
G.G. Stevens Man Democrat 938 12.48
George Knox Man Democrat 877 11.67
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11/06/1860 State House, District 09 General Joseph E. (J.E.) Chapman (Republican) won with 1,356 votes (38.15%) and a winning margin of +25.83
Clark R. (C.R.) White (Republican) won with 1,340 votes (37.70%) and a winning margin of +25.38
Candidate Gender Party Votes Percent
Joseph E. (J.E.) Chapman Man Republican 1,356 38.15
Clark R. (C.R.) White Man Republican 1,340 37.70
Edward Strange Man Democrat 438 12.32
Mathew (M.H.) Palmer Man Democrat 420 11.82
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11/06/1860 State House, District 03 General Thomas Cathcart (Democrat) won with 677 votes (17.35%) and a winning margin of +0.64
Levi Wheeler (Republican) won with 663 votes (16.99%) and a winning margin of +0.28
Peter (P.L.) Gregory (Democrat) won with 653 votes (16.73%) and a winning margin of +0.03
Candidate Gender Party Votes Percent
Thomas Cathcart Man Democrat 677 17.35
Levi Wheeler Man Republican 663 16.99
Peter (P.L.) Gregory Man Democrat 653 16.73
William Nettleton Incumbent Man Democrat 652 16.71
H.W. Wheeler Man Republican 636 16.30
James H. (J.H.) Van Dyke Man Republican 622 15.94
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11/06/1860 State House, District 01 General Henry Acker (Republican) won with 726 votes (26.64%) and a winning margin of +1.80
Jefferson Parish (J.P.) Kidder (Democrat) won with 679 votes (24.92%) and a winning margin of +0.07
Candidate Gender Party Votes Percent
Henry Acker Incumbent Man Republican 726 26.64
Jefferson Parish (J.P.) Kidder Man Democrat 679 24.92
Andrew Nessel Man Republican 677 24.84
John S. (J.S.) Prince Man Democrat 643 23.60

Nessel contested the election of Kidder on the grounds there was a tallying error in the results. The Minnesota House of Representatives found Nessel won by one vote and declared him entitled to the seat on January 23, 1861 by a vote of 36 to 3.

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