1863 Kentucky gubernatorial election

1863 Kentucky gubernatorial election

August 3, 1863

Nominee Thomas E. Bramlette Charles A. Wickliffe Party Union Democratic Democratic Popular vote 67,577 17,458 Percentage 79.5% 20.5%

County results

Governor before election James Fisher Robinson Democratic Elected Governor John L. Helm Democratic

The 1863 Kentucky gubernatorial election took place on August 3, 1863, in order to elect the governor of Kentucky. Union Democratic candidate Thomas Elliot Bramlette won his first term as governor^[1] against Democratic candidate Charles A. Wickliffe.^[2]

According to the Kentucky Historical Society, the election had considerable Union military interference,^[3] since some supporters of Wickliffe were imprisoned for allegedly harboring Confederate sympathies.^[4]

Candidates

Union Democratic Party

• Thomas E. Bramlette, who served as U.S. Attorney for the District of Kentucky; colonel and commander of the 3rd Kentucky Infantry; judge of Kentucky's Sixth Judicial District from 1856 to 1862; and commonwealth attorney of Kentucky from 1849 to 1851.^[1][4]

The Union Democratic Party originally nominated Joshua F. Bell, who withdrew after the party convention.^[4]

Democratic Party

• Charles A. Wickliffe, who served as a member of United States House of Representatives for Kentucky from 1823 to 1833 and from 1860 to 1863; United States Postmaster General from 1841 to 1845 in the Tyler administration; and former lieutenant governor of Kentucky from 1836 to 1839 under James Clark and governor of Kentucky after Clark's death in office, until 1840.^[5][6]

Election

Statewide

1863 Kentucky gubernatorial election^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Union Democratic	Thomas E. Bramlette	67,577	79.5
	Democratic	Charles A. Wickliffe	17,458	20.5
Total votes			85,035	100.00
	Democratic hold

References

1. "Thomas Elliott Bramlette". National Governors Association. 8 December 2015. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
2. Dubin, Michael J. (2014). United States Gubernatorial Elections, 1861-1911 | The Official Results by State and County. McFarland. p. 2. ISBN 9780786456468.
3. "Lincoln Lore – Thomas E. Bramlette". Kentucky's Abraham Lincoln. Kentucky Historical Society. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
4. "Thomas E. Bramlette (1863-1867) · Civil War Governors of Kentucky". Civil War Governors of Kentucky. Kentucky Historical Society. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
5. "Charles A. Wickliffe (1841–1845) | Miller Center". University of Virginia Miller Center. Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia. 4 October 2016. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
6. "Charles Anderson Wickliffe". National Governors Association. 8 December 2015. Retrieved 27 March 2024.