1842 Connecticut gubernatorial election

{{Short description|none}}

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

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

{{Infobox election

| election_name = 1842 Connecticut gubernatorial election

| country = Connecticut

| type = Presidential

| ongoing = no

| previous_election = 1841 Connecticut gubernatorial election

| previous_year = 1841

| next_election = 1843 Connecticut gubernatorial election

| next_year = 1843

| election_date = April 4, 1842

| image1 = File:Chauncey_Fitch_Cleveland_(Connecticut_Governor) (3x4a).jpg

| nominee1 = Chauncey Fitch Cleveland

| party1 = Democratic Party (United States)

| popular_vote1 = 25,564

| percentage1 = 49.94%

| electoral_vote1 = 139

| image2 = File:William_Wolcott_Ellsworth (3x4a).jpeg

| nominee2 = William W. Ellsworth

| party2 = Whig Party (United States)

| popular_vote2 = 23,790

| percentage2 = 46.29%

| electoral_vote2 = 68

| map_image = {{switcher

| 220px

| County results

| 220px

| Municipality results

| default = 1}}

| map_size = 220px

| map_caption = Cleveland: {{legend0|#A5B0FF|40–50%}} {{legend0|#7996E2|50–60%}} {{legend0|#6674DE|60–70%}} {{legend0|#584CDE|70–80%}}
Ellsworth: {{legend0|#FEE391|40–50%}} {{legend0|#FEC44F|50–60%}} {{legend0|#FE9A29|60–70%}} {{legend0|#EC7014|70–80%}}
{{legend0|#d2b1d9|Tie}}

| title = Governor

| before_election = William W. Ellsworth

| before_party = Whig Party (United States)

| after_election = Chauncey Fitch Cleveland

| after_party = Democratic Party (United States)

}}

{{Elections in Connecticut}}

The 1842 Connecticut gubernatorial election was held on April 4, 1842.{{cite news |author= |date=April 7, 1842 |title=The State election in Connecticut |url=https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83021167/1842-04-07/ed-1/seq-3/ |work=Herald of the times |location=Newport, R.I. |page=3 |access-date=1 May 2022 }}{{cite news |author= |date=April 7, 1842 |title=Connecticut election |url=https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82015015/1842-04-07/ed-1/seq-3/ |work=The Madisonian |location=Washington, D.C. |page=3 |access-date=1 May 2022 }} Former Speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives and Democratic nominee Chauncey Fitch Cleveland was elected, defeating incumbent governor and Whig nominee William W. Ellsworth with 49.94% of the vote.

Cleveland won a plurality of the vote, but fell just short of a majority, by 107 votes. The state constitution at the time required the Connecticut General Assembly decide the election if no candidate won a majority of the vote. The state legislature voted 139 to 68 to elect Cleveland the governor.

"https://www.nga.org/governor/chauncey-fitch-cleveland/ Gov. Chauncey Fitch Cleveland", National Governors Association, retrieved 09-17-2020

This was the first appearance of the Liberty Party in a Connecticut governor's race, and the first of Francis Gillette's ten attempts at seeking the governorship.