1830 Vermont gubernatorial election

{{short description|none}}

{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}}

{{Infobox election

| election_name = 1830 Vermont gubernatorial election

| country = Vermont

| flag_year = 1804

| type = presidential

| election_date = {{Start date|1830|10|14}}

| ongoing = no

| previous_election = 1829 Vermont gubernatorial election

| previous_year = 1829

| next_election = 1831 Vermont gubernatorial election

| next_year = 1831

| image_size = 160x160px

| image1 = Samuel Crafts.jpg

| nominee1 = Samuel C. Crafts

| party1 = National Republican Party

| electoral_vote1 = 115

| popular_vote1 = 13,476

| percentage1 = 43.9%

| image2 = William A. Palmer.jpg

| nominee2 = William A. Palmer

| party2 = Anti-Masonic Party

| electoral_vote2 = 72

| popular_vote2 = 10,923

| percentage2 = 35.6%

| image3 = Ezra Meech.jpg

| nominee3 = Ezra Meech

| party3 = Democratic Party (United States)

| electoral_vote3 = 37

| popular_vote3 = 6,285

| percentage3 = 20.4%

| map_image = 1830 Vermont gubernatorial election results map by county.svg

| map_size = 220px

| map_caption = County results
Crafts: {{legend0|#FFB2B2|40–50%}} {{legend0|#E27F7F|50–60%}}
Palmer: {{legend0|#FED463|50–60%}} {{legend0|#EC7014|70–80%}}
Meech: {{legend0|#D7F4D7|30–40%}} {{legend0|#AFE9AF|40–50%}}

| title = Governor

| before_election = Samuel C. Crafts

| before_party = Democratic-Republican

| after_election = Samuel C. Crafts

| after_party = National Republican Party

}}

{{ElectionsVT}}

The 1830 Vermont gubernatorial election took place in September and October, and resulted in the election of Samuel C. Crafts to a one-year term as governor.{{cite book |editor1-last=Walton |editor1-first=E. P. |editor1-link=Eliakim Persons Walton |date=1879 |title=Records of the Governor and Council of the State of Vermont |volume=VII |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3p06AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA393 |location=Montpelier, VT |publisher=J. & J. M. Poland |pages=392–395 |via=Google Books}}

In the mid-1820s, the Democratic-Republicans, the only major party following the demise of the Federalists after the War of 1812, began to splinter into supporters and opponents of President Andrew Jackson.{{cite book |last=Fox |first=Dorus Morton |date=1895 |title=History of Political Parties, National Reminiscences, and the Tippecanoe Movement |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LQ0vAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA37 |location=Des Moines, IA |publisher=Iowa Printing Co. |pages=36–38 |via=Google Books}} The opponents of Jackson were called National Republicans, and adopted the name Whig after the 1832 presidential election. The pro-Jackson party was still referred to as the Democratic-Republican Party, but adopted the name Democratic Party prior to the 1832 elections. The Anti-Masonic Party, which formed in the late 1820s, continued to gather supporters, and had more influence in Vermont than in most other states.{{cite web |url=http://www.freedomandunity.org/1800s/antimasonry.html |title=Antimasonry |date=2006 |website=Freedom and Unity: Building Communities 1820-1860 |publisher=Vermont Historical Society |location=Montpelier, VT |access-date=April 24, 2021}}

The Vermont General Assembly met in Montpelier on October 14. The Vermont House of Representatives appointed a committee to review the votes of the freemen of Vermont for governor, lieutenant governor, treasurer, and members of the governor's council. The committee determined that no candidate had won a majority for governor or lieutenant governor. In accordance with the Vermont Constitution, the General Assembly was required to choose.

The popular vote for governor was reported as: Total votes, 30,721; Samuel C. Crafts (National Republican), 13,476 (43.9%); William A. Palmer (Anti-Masonic),{{cite news |date=September 2, 1830 |title=Anti-Masonic Republican Ticket |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/76380748/anti-masonic-ticket/ |work=Middlebury Free Press |location=Middlebury, VT |page=2 |via=Newspapers.com}} 10,923 (35.6%); Ezra Meech (Democratic-Republican), 6,285 (20.4%); scattering, 37 (0.01%).

In the election for lieutenant governor, the popular vote totals were: Total votes, 29,847; Mark Richards (National Republican), 12,779 (42.8%); Lebbeus Egerton (Anti-Masonic), 10,594 (35.5%); John Roberts (Democratic-Republican), 6,405 (21.4%); scattering, 69 (0.02%). After numerous ballots over several days failed to produce winners, on Tuesday, October 19 the General Assembly chose Crafts for governor and Richards for lieutenant governor.

With 224 legislators and councilors casting votes for governor on the 32nd ballot, 113 were required for a majority.{{cite news |date=October 28, 1830 |title=Vermont Legislature: Tuesday, October 19 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/76384746/oct-19/ |work=Vermont Aurora |location=Vergennes, VT |page=2 |via=Newspapers.com}} Crafts received 115, Palmer received 72, and Democratic-Republican William Czar Bradley received 37. For lieutenant governor, 211 members of the General Assembly voted on the third ballot, so 106 were necessary for victory. Richards received 117, Egerton received 57, and Roberts 37.

Benjamin Swan won election to a one-year term as treasurer, his thirty-first. Though he had nominally been a Federalist, Swan was usually endorsed by the Democratic-Republicans and even after the demise of the Federalist Party he was frequently unopposed.{{cite web |url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=64759 |title=Swan, Benjamin |last=Joshua L. |date=November 26, 2004 |website=Our Campaigns |publisher=Our Campaigns.com |access-date=March 21, 2021}} In 1830, he was endorsed by the National Republicans{{cite news |date=August 3, 1830 |title=National Republican Nomination |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/76380834/national-republican/ |work=The Horn of the Green Mountains |location=Manchester, VT |page=2 |via=newspapers.com}} and Democratic-Republicans,{{cite news |date=July 20, 1830 |title=Republican Ticket |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/76380892/republican-ticket/ |work=Vermont Gazette |location=Bennington, VT |page=1 |via=Newspapers.com}} and opposed by Anti-Masonic candidate Augustine Clarke. In the treasurer's race, the popular vote was reported as: Total votes cast, 28,917; Swan, 18,544 (64.1%); Clarke, 10,325 (35.7%); scattering, 48 (0.02%).{{cite news |date=October 20, 1830 |title=Legislature of Vermont: For Treasurer |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/76380572/for-treasurer/ |work=The Herald |location=St. Johnsbury, VT |page=3 |via=Newspapers.com}}