1839 Rhode Island gubernatorial election

{{Infobox election

| election_name = 1839 Rhode Island gubernatorial election

| country = Rhode Island

| flag_year = 1837

| type = Presidential

| ongoing = no

| previous_election = 1838 Rhode Island gubernatorial election

| previous_year = 1838

| next_election = 1840 Rhode Island gubernatorial election

| next_year = 1840

| election_date = April 17, 1839

| image1 = x150px

| nominee1 = William Sprague

| party1 = Whig Party (United States)

| popular_vote1 = 2,908

| percentage1 = 47.11%

| image2 = x120px

| nominee2 = Nathaniel Bullock

| party2 = Democratic Party (United States)

| popular_vote2 = 2,771

| percentage2 = 44.89%

| image3 = x150px

| nominee3 = Tristram Burges

| party3 = Liberal

| color3 = daa06d

| popular_vote3 = 457

| percentage3 = 7.40%

| map_image = 1839 Rhode Island gubernatorial election results map by county.svg

| map_size = 200px

| map_caption = County results
Sprague: {{legend0|#FEE391|40–50%}} {{legend0|#FED463|50–60%}}
Bullock: {{legend0|#6674de|60–70%}}

| title = Governor

| before_election = William Sprague

| before_party = Whig Party (United States)

| after_election = Samuel Ward King (acting)

| after_party = Whig Party (United States)

}}

The 1839 Rhode Island gubernatorial election was held on April 17, 1839.{{cite news |author= |date=April 18, 1839 |title=State Election |url=https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83021167/1839-04-18/ed-1/seq-2/ |work=Herald of the times |location=Newport, R.I. |page=2 |access-date=23 October 2021 }}{{cite news |author= |date=April 24, 1839 |title=The Election |url=https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83025561/1839-04-24/ed-1/seq-2/ |work=The Rhode-Island Republican |location=Newport, R.I. |page=2 |access-date=23 October 2021 }}

Incumbent Whig governor William Sprague ran for re-election for a second term against Democratic nominee Nathaniel Bullock and Liberal nominee Tristram Burges.

Since no candidate received a majority in the popular vote, the senior senator, Samuel Ward King, acted as governor for the term.{{cite news |author= |date=May 9, 1839 |title=R. I. Legislature: (May Session – Newport) |url=https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83021167/1839-05-09/ed-1/seq-1/ |work=Herald of the times |location=Newport, R.I. |pages=1–2 |access-date=23 October 2021 }}

General election

=Candidates=

Nathaniel Bullock, Democratic, former U.S. Collector of Customs{{cite web |url=https://politicalgraveyard.com/families/10001-0063.html |title=Bullock family of Massachusetts |author= |date= |website=The Political Graveyard |publisher= |access-date=23 October 2021 }}
Tristram Burges, Liberal (Whig faction),{{cite web |url=https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/56696737.pdf |title=Rhode Island Election Tickets: A Survey |last1=DeSimone |first1=Russell J. |last2=Schofield |first2=Daniel C. |date=2015 |website= |publisher=The University of Rhode Island |location=Kingston, Rhode Island |page=Figure 1–170 |access-date=23 October 2021 }} Whig nominee for governor in 1836
William Sprague, Whig, incumbent governor

=Results=

{{Election box begin | title=1839 Rhode Island gubernatorial election{{cite web |url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=237877 |title=RI Governor, 1839 |publisher=Our Campaigns |access-date=23 October 2021}}{{cite book |last=Dubin |first=Michael J. |title=United States Gubernatorial Elections, 1776-1860: The Official Results by State and County |page=235 |publisher=McFarland |year=2003 |isbn=978-0-7864-1439-0 |location=Jefferson, North Carolina }}{{cite book |last=Glashan |first=Roy R. |title=American Governors and Gubernatorial Elections, 1775-1978 |publisher=Meckler Books |location=Westport, CT |year=1979 |pages=270–271 |isbn=0-930466-17-9}}{{cite book |editor1-last=Kallenbach |editor1-first=Joseph E. |editor2-last=Kallenbach |editor2-first=Jessamine S. |date=1977 |title=American State Governors, 1776-1976 |volume=I |page=512 |location=Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. |publisher=Oceana Publications, Inc. |isbn=0-379-00665-0 }}{{cite book |author= |date=1888 |title=Manual with Rules and Orders for the Use of the General Assembly of the State of Rhode Island, 1888-89 |series=State of Rhode Island manual |url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924106119559&view=1up&seq=127&skin=2021 |location=Providence |publisher=E. L. Freeman & Co., Printers to the State |page=101 }}{{cite web |url=http://smallstatebighistory.com/rhode-island-in-the-1800s-failed-to-elect-a-governor-in-eleven-general-elections/ |title=Rhode Island in the 1800s Failed to Elect a Governor in Eleven General Elections |last=DeSimone |first=Russell |date=2 November 2018 |website=smallstatebighistory.com |publisher=The Online Review of Rhode Island History |access-date=23 October 2021 }}{{efn|Some sources give Sprague's vote as 2,901{{cite book |author= |date=1840 |title=The Democrat's Almanac, and Political Register, for 1840 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xVnOAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA35 |location=New York |publisher=The Evening Post |page=35 }} or 2,948.{{cite book |title=Gubernatorial Elections, 1787-1997 |location=Washington, D.C. |publisher=Congressional Quarterly Inc. |date=1998 |page=76 |isbn=1-56802-396-0 }}{{cite news |author= |date=May 11, 1839 |title=Rhode Island |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4_MB9JDaoZoC |work=The New-Yorker |volume=VII |issue=8 |location=New York |publisher= H. Greeley & Co. |page=122 |access-date=23 October 2021 }}}}

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

| party = Whig Party (United States)

| candidate = William Sprague (incumbent)

| votes = 2,908

| percentage = 47.11%

| change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

| party = Democratic Party (United States)

| candidate = Nathaniel Bullock

| votes = 2,771

| percentage = 44.89%

| change =

}}

{{Election box candidate|

| party = Liberal Party

| candidate = Tristram Burges

| votes = 457

| percentage = 7.40%

| change =

}}

{{Election box candidate

|party = Scattering

|candidate =

|votes = 37

|percentage = 0.60%

|change =

}}

{{Election box majority|

| votes = 137

| percentage = 2.22%

| change =

}}

{{Election box turnout|

| votes = 6,173

| percentage =

| change =

}}

{{Election box hold with party link|

| winner = Whig Party (United States)

| loser =

| swing =

}}

Notes

References