1861 Wisconsin gubernatorial election
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County results Harvey : 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Ferguson: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Wisconsin |
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The 1861 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 1861. Republican Party candidate Louis P. Harvey won the election with 54% of the vote, defeating Democratic candidate Benjamin Ferguson.
This was the first Wisconsin gubernatorial election to take place after the outbreak of the American Civil War, and Wisconsin Republicans joined War Democrats to form the Union Party during the war. Democrats accused them of using patriotism to paper over the state's economic troubles.
Harvey won Calumet County and Kewaunee County; these counties would not vote for a Republican again until 1916 and 1896, respectively.