1851 Texas gubernatorial election
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August 4, 1851
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 County results Bell: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% 90–100% Johnson: 20–30% 30–40% 40–50% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% 90–100% Greer: 20–30% 30–40% 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Epperson: 40–50% Chambers: 50–60% No Data/Vote: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Texas |
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 Government |
The 1851 Texas gubernatorial election was held on August 4, 1851, to elect the governor of Texas. Incumbent Governor Peter Hansborough Bell was reelected to a second term, receiving 48% of the vote. His nearest challenger, Middleton T. Johnson, won just 19%.
General election
Candidates
- Peter Hansborough Bell, incumbent governor, veteran of the Mexican-American War, former Texas Rangers captain, veteran of the Battle of San Jacinto (Democratic)[1]
- Thomas J. Chambers, former chief justice of Texas, land speculator and real estate developer (Democratic)[2]
- Benjamin H. Epperson, lawyer, former state representative (Whig)[3]
- John Alexander Greer, incumbent lieutenant governor, former Secretary of the Treasury of the Republic of Texas, President pro tempore of the Senate in the Congress of the Republic of Texas (Democratic)[4]
- Middleton T. Johnson, unsuccessful candidate for lieutenant governor in 1849, Texas Ranger and militia leader, former representative in Alabama House of Representatives (Democratic)[5]
Withdrew
- Elisha M. Pease, state senator, former Comptroller of Public Accounts of the Republic of Texas (Democratic)[6]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Peter Hansborough Bell (incumbent) | 13,595 | 48.20% | |
| Democratic | Middleton T. Johnson | 5,262 | 18.59% | |
| Democratic | John Alexander Greer | 4,061 | 14.35% | |
| Whig | Benjamin H. Epperson | 2,971 | 10.49% | |
| Democratic | Thomas J. Chambers | 2,320 | 8.20% | |
| Write-in | 100 | 0.35% | ||
| Total votes | 28,309 | 100.00% | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
References
- ↑ Hooker, Anne W. (1952). "Peter Hansborough Bell: Governor of Texas and War Hero". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved June 23, 2026.
- ↑ Henson, Margaret S. (1952). "Thomas Jefferson Chambers: Life of a Texas Land Speculator and Lawyer". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved June 23, 2026.
- ↑ Wooster, Ralph A. (1976). "Benjamin Holland Epperson: East Texas Lawyer and Politician". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved June 23, 2026.
- ↑ Hyman, Carolyn (1976). "John Alexander Greer: Early Texas Settler and Lieutenant Governor". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved June 16, 2026.
- ↑ Frazier, Ph.D., Donald (1952). "Middleton Tate Johnson: Ranger, Politician, and Founding Figure of Fort Worth". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
- ↑ Griffin, Roger A. (1976). "Elisha Marshall Pease: Governor of Texas and Advocate for Education". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved June 23, 2026.
- ↑ "Texas Almanac". Archived from the original on November 19, 2015. Retrieved August 19, 2015.