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 County results Sprague: 50–60% Padelford: 50–60% | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Agubernatorial election was held inRhode Island on April 4, 1860. TheDemocratic andConservative candidateWilliam Sprague IV defeated theRepublican former member of theRhode Island House of Representatives fromProvidenceSeth Padelford.[1]
At the Republican state convention, Padelford, aRadical Republican, defeated the incumbentgovernorThomas G. Turner. Padelford's nomination precipitated a movement byConservative Republicans, formerWhigs, and Democrats to jointly nominate Sprague as the conservativefusion candidate. Sprague's surrogates portrayed the election as a choice between "Union and Disunion" and charged Padelford with representing "agitation, anarchy," and "black Republicanism."[2] The conservatives used several names during the campaign, including "Young Men's," "Conservative Republican," "Democratic," "Military," "Conservative Union," and "American."[3] Sprague's coalition subsequently became the foundation for the Rhode IslandConstitutional Union Party.[4]
A convention of the "conservative men of Rhode Island" met at Providence on February 1, 1860 and nominated Sprague for governor.[5] Sprague declined this nomination.[6] A second state convention was held on February 16, concurrently with the Democratic convention, where Sprague was again nominated unanimously.[7]
The Democratic state convention was held at Providence on February 16, 1860, concurrently with the Conservative Union convention. Sprague was nominated unanimously.[8]
The Republican state convention met atProvidence on January 4, 1850. Padelford defeated Turner on the first ballot.[9]
| Candidate | 1st |
|---|---|
| Seth Padelford | 55 |
| Samuel G. Arnold | 34 |
| Thomas G. Turner | 15 |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | William Sprague IV | 12,278 | 53.34 | |
| Republican | Seth Padelford | 10,740 | 46.66 | |
| Total votes | 23,018 | 100.00 | ||
| Democraticgain fromRepublican | ||||
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