1866 New York state election


The 1866 New York state election was held on November 6, 1866, to elect the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, a Canal Commissioner and an Inspector of State Prisons, as well as all members of the New York State Assembly. Besides, the voters were asked if a Constitutional Convention should be held in 1867, which was answered in the affirmative with 352,854 votes for, and 256,364 against the convention.

History

The delegates to the "Conservative Union" state convention arrived on September 10 at Albany, New York. This convention was the result of the still ongoing party re-alignment after the American Civil War. It was called by the Democratic Party with the intention to give the War Democrats, who had joined the Republicans in the National Union, and other conservative Republicans, an opportunity to return to the Democratic Party. Thurlow Weed was a delegate. John Adams Dix was talked of to be nominated for governor. The convention met on September 11 and 12 at Tweddle Hall. Sanford E. Church was temporary chairman and president. Mayor of New York John T. Hoffman was nominated for governor by acclamation. Robert H. Pruyn was nominated for lieutenant governor on the first ballot. William W. Wright for Canal Commissioner, and Francis B. Gallagher for prison inspector, were also nominated by acclamation.

Result

The whole Republican ticket was elected in a tight race, with a majority of about 14,000 votes out of more than 700,000.
The incumbent Governor Fenton was re-elected.
82 Republicans and 46 Democrats were elected for the session of 1865 to the New York State Assembly.