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 Results by county Wright: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% Fillmore: 40–50% 50–60% | |||||||||||||||||
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The1844 New York gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 1844. Incumbent GovernorWilliam C. Bouck lost his bid for nomination to U.S. SenatorSilas Wright. In the general election, Wright defeated former U.S. Representative and future President of the United StatesMillard Fillmore.
Both Wright and Fillmore had been candidates for the vice presidency earlier in the year, but Wright declined the nomination by the Democratic National Convention, while Fillmore's active efforts were blocked by party bossThurlow Weed.
GovernorWilliam C. Bouck was elected in 1842 over WhigLuther Bradish. His term was occupied primarily with the state's response to theAnti-Rent War.[1] Tenants who held perpetual leases under thepatroon system, first implemented when New York was a Dutch colony, objected to the "quarter sale" provision of their leases.[2] Under this provision if a tenant sold his lease, he had to pay his patroon one quarter of the sale price or one additional year's rent.[2] In addition, while the wealthiest patroon,Stephen Van Rensselaer, had generally proved a benevolent landlord usually willing to accept partial or late payments rather than evict tenants who fell behind on their rent, after his death in 1839 his heirs attempted to collect long-overdue payments.[3] When the tenants could not pay and could not negotiate for favorable repayment terms, they were threatened with eviction and a revolt ensued.[3]
Bouck was sympathetic to the tenants,[4] but as part of the effort to restore order during a violent demonstration, near the end of his term he sent units of thestate militia toHudson, which was viewed unfavorably by the tenants and their supporters.[5] Bouck's popularity within his own party also slipped, as Democrats sought a candidate who would consistently enforce the law against rioters.[5]
The 1844 election was also cast in the shadow of the election for president. SenatorSilas Wright, a critic of theannexation of Texas and slavery, supported his allyMartin Van Buren for the presidency.[6] When the1844 Democratic National Convention deadlocked andJames K. Polk ofTennessee was nominated, southerners sought to appease the Van Buren wing of the party by nominating Wright for Vice President, but he firmly declined.[7]
In contrast to Wright, former U.S. representativeMillard Fillmore, who had chaired the influentialHouse Ways and Means Committee during his time in Congress, actively sought the vice presidency on the Whig ticket.[8][9] However, he was blocked by party bossThurlow Weed, who preferred the spot for former governorWilliam H. Seward. Although Weed promised Fillmore the governorship, Fillmore wrote back, "I am not willing to be treacherously killed by this pretended kindness ... do not suppose for a minute that I think they desire my nomination for governor."[10] Although Weed failed to secure the nomination for Seward, he succeeded in blocking Fillmore;Theodore Frelinghuysen ofNew Jersey was the eventual nominee.[11]
Putting a good face on his defeat, Fillmore met and publicly appeared with Frelinghuysen and quietly spurned Weed's offer to get him nominated as governor at the state convention. Fillmore's position in opposing slavery only at the state level made him acceptable as a statewide Whig candidate, and Weed saw to it the pressure on Fillmore increased. Fillmore had stated that a convention had the right to draft anyone for political service, and Weed got the convention to choose Fillmore, who had broad support, despite his reluctance.[12]
Although Fillmore worked to gain support amongGerman-Americans, a major constituency, he was hurt among immigrants by the fact that in New York City, Whigs had supported anativist candidate in the mayoral election earlier in 1844, and Fillmore and his party were tarred with that brush.[13]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Silas Wright | 241,090 | 49.48% |  2.35 | |
| Whig | Millard Fillmore | 231,057 | 47.42% |  1.06 | |
| Liberty | Alvan Stewart | 15,136 | 3.12% | 1.31 | |
| Total votes | 487,283 | 100.00% | |||
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