1851 Texas lieutenant gubernatorial election
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August 4, 1851
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| Elections in Texas |
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 Government |
The 1851Texas lieutenant gubernatorial election was held on August 4, 1851, in order to elect the lieutenant governor of Texas. The former Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives, Democrat James W. Henderson, won a competitive four–way race and became the third lieutenant governor of Texas.
General election
The incumbent lieutenant governor, John Alexander Greer did not run for reelection. Instead he chose to challenge the incumbent governor Peter H. Bell. There had not been a strong partisan during the Republic period of Texas. The Democrats did have a strong presence within the state, as a result of the 1848 presidential election, but not all members of the political class had aligned themselves to the new party. Even if they did identify with a political party, candidates often ran independent campaigns.[1][2]
James Henderson, who had run unsuccessfully for the office of lieutenant governor in the previous election, campaigned for the office again. His foremost opponents were state senator Matthias Ward and the incumbent Speaker of the Texas House Charles Keenan.
Candidates
- James Shackleford Gillett, lawyer, Texas Ranger, representative in the Texas House of Representatives[3]
- James Wilson Henderson, surveyor, lawyer, former Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives[4]
- Charles G. Keenan, doctor, Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives[5]
- Matthias Ward, state senator, member in the Republic of Texas Congress[6]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | James W. Henderson | 9,659 | 37.39 | |
| Democratic | Matthias Ward | 7,788 | 30.15 | |
| Democratic | Charles G. Keenan | 5,740 | 22.22 | |
| Democratic | James S. Gillett | 2,644 | 10.24 | |
| Total votes | 25,831 | 100.00 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
Aftermath
Governor Peter H. Bell, who was reelected in the 1851 gubernatorial election, resigned from the office in order to fill a vacancy in congress.[8] This led to James Henderson becoming Governor for the final 28 days of Bell's term.
References
- ↑ "TSHA | The Evolution of the Democratic Party in Texas: A Historical Overview". tshaonline.org. Retrieved 2026-04-22.
Despite sympathy for the Democratic party in the United States, as yet there was no strong party tradition in the Republic of Texas. Before 1848, elections in Texas were conducted without organized political parties. Personality was the dominant political force in the state.
- ↑ "Elections of Texas Governors, 1845-2010". texasalmanac.com. Retrieved 2026-04-22.
Prior to 1857 most candidates ran independently.
- ↑ Peirce, Margaret F. (1952). "James S. Gillett: Lawyer, Military Officer, and Texas Pioneer". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 2026-06-17.
- ↑ Kemp, L. W. (1976). "James Wilson Henderson: Life and Legacy of a Texas Governor". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 2026-06-17.
- ↑ "Charles G. Keenan: Pioneer Physician and Legislator in Texas". Texas State Historical Association. 1952. Retrieved 2026-06-17.
- ↑ Hooker, Anne W. (1952). "Matthias Ward: Lawyer, Politician, and U.S. Senator from Texas". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 2026-06-17.
- ↑ Jones, Anson (1859). Memoranda and official correspondence relating to the Republic of Texas, its history and annexation. Including a brief autobiography of the author. Cornell University Library. New York : D. Appleton and Company. pp. 620–621.
- ↑ Hooker, Anne W. (1952). "Peter Hansborough Bell: Governor of Texas and War Hero". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 2026-06-17.