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 County results Gardner: 30–40% 40–50% 50–60% Rockwell: 30–40% 40–50% Beach: 30–40% Walley: 40–50% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The1855 Massachusetts gubernatorial election was held on November 6.Know-Nothing candidateHenry J. Gardner was re-elected to a second term as Governor in a multi-partisan race, defeating RepublicanJulius Rockwell and Democrat Erasmus Beach.
This was the first election won by a direct plurality vote,after the majority requirement was abolished by the legislature on May 23. Gardner won without ratification by the General Court.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Know Nothing | Henry J. Gardner (incumbent) | 51,497 | 37.73% |  24.85 | |
| Republican | Julius Rockwell | 36,715 | 26.90% |  21.92 | |
| Democratic | Erasmus D. Beach | 34,728 | 25.44% | 14.89 | |
| Whig | Samuel H. Walley | 13,296 | 9.74% | 11.20 | |
| Scattering | All others | 252 | 0.19% | 0.03 | |
| Total votes | 136,488 | 100.00% | |||
| Know Nothinghold | Swing | ||||
