1855 Texas lieutenant gubernatorial election
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August 6, 1855
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| Elections in Texas |
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 Government |
The 1855 Texas lieutenant gubernatorial election was held on August 6, 1855, in order to elect the lieutenant governor of Texas. The Democratic candidate, Speaker of the Texas House Hardin Richard Runnels defeated the American Party candidate, state senator William Jowers becoming the fifth lieutenant governor of the state.
Runnels was the third consecutive lieutenant governor who had previously served as Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives.
Background
Since the 1848 presidential election, the Democratic Party had become the most prominent political organization in the state.[1] The Texas Whig Party which had also set up a presence in the state during the previous two presidential campaigns had essentially fizzled out from lack of support.[2] Leading up to this campaign, even though the Democrats were essentially the only party in the state it lacked a particularly organized nominating apparatus and even if candidates did identify with a political party, they often ran independent campaigns.[3] In April 1855, the Democratic Party leadership attempted to organize a convention to nominate candidates for governor and lieutenant governor, but only delegates from twelve counties were able to attend.[4] Given the small number of delegates, the convention refused to make official nominations, but did "respectuflly suggest the reelection of the present incumbents".[4]
Starting in 1854, the Native American Party, a nativist party based on anti-catholic and anti-immigrant sentiments, saw a sudden wave of political successes. The members of the party were known as the "Know Nothings" due to semi-secret nature of the organization. While the movement was concentrated, in the North East, they had been some growth in the state and in San Antonio and Galveston saw members of the party be elected on the municipal level.[5] A main factor of the Know Nothings' rhetoric in the state was the growing number of German immigrants and their increasing political and cultural influence.[6][4][5] The leaders of the Texas Know Nothings saw an opportunity to build on their momentum and take control of the state from the Democratic Party, by secretly converting Democratic leadership to their cause. In a surprise convention in June 1855, they announced a full slate of candidates for congressional and statewide tickets. Leading this ticket was the incumbent lieutenant governor, David Catchings Dickson, who had secretly joined the party to challenge the incumbent governor Elisha M. Pease. For lieutenant governor, they selected state senator William Jowers as their candidate.[4][5]
The Democratic party was shocked by the Dickson's party swap as they had already published newspapers urging voters to support him for lieutenant governor. A "Bomb Shell" convention was quickly assembled which declared the Know Nothings Party as "an enemy of the government" and denounced anyone who was a member of a secret political faction. This convention reiterated it's support for Pease in the governor's race and dropped all support for Dickson.[4] Eventually the party coalesced around Hardin Richard Runnels, the long serving state representative who had been selected as Speaker of the House during the previous legislature, as their candidate for lieutenant governor.[4][7]
General election
On election day, Runnels won the election with almost 49% of the vote, helping maintaining the Democratic Party's control on the state government. Most of the Know Nothing support was concentrated in Central Texas near Travis County.[5] The legislature certified the election results on November 7, 1855 and Runnels was sworn into office on December 21, 1855.[8]
Candidates
- William George Washington "W. G. W." Jowers, doctor, state senator, former state representative, veteran of the Army of the Republic of Texas, former member of the Mississippi House of Representatives (American)[9]
- Andrew Neill, lawyer, militia leader, former probate judge in Mississippi (Democrat)[7]
- Hardin Richard Runnels, Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives, plantation owner (Democrat)[10]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Hardin Richard Runnels | 21,073 | 48.72 | |
| Know Nothing | W. G. W. Jowers | 17,817 | 41.20 | |
| Democratic | Andrew Neill | 4,360 | 10.08 | |
| Total votes | 43,250 | 100.00 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
References
- ↑ Young, Nancy Beck (1976). "The Evolution of the Democratic Party in Texas: A Historical Overview". tshaonline.org. Retrieved 2026-04-22.
- ↑ Buenger, Walter L. (1976). "The Rise and Fall of the Whig Party in Texas Politics". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 2026-06-18.
- ↑ "Elections of Texas Governors, 1845-2010". texasalmanac.com. Retrieved 2026-04-22.
Prior to 1857 most candidates ran independently.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Winkler, Ernest William (September 20, 1916). Platforms of Political Parties in Texas (PDF). University of Texas. pp. 58–64.
- 1 2 3 4 Griffin, Roger A. (1952). "The Rise and Fall of the Know-Nothing Movement in Texas". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
- ↑ Jordan, Terry G. (1976). "The German Influence in Texas: History and Cultural Impact". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
- 1 2 "Andrew Neill: Lawyer, Soldier, and Texas Pioneer". Texas State Historical Association. 1952. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
- ↑ Journal of the Senate of the State of Texas: Sixth Legislature (PDF). Austin, TX: Marshall & Oldham, State Printers. 1855. p. 47.
- ↑ Caraway, Georgia Kemp (1952). "William G. W. Jowers: Life and Legacy of a Texas State Senator". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
- ↑ Harper Jr., Cecil (1952). "Hardin R. Runnels: Texas Governor and Legislator". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
- ↑ 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.