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County results Allen: 50–60% Chapin: 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||||||
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The1851 Rhode Island gubernatorial election was held on 2 April 1851 in order to elect thegovernor of Rhode Island.Democratic nominee and former member of theRhode Island House of RepresentativesPhilip Allen defeatedWhig nomineeJosiah Chapin andFree Soil nomineeEdward Harris.[1]
IncumbentWhiggovernorHenry B. Anthony declined to seek re-election to a third term, so his party instead nominatedJosiah Chapin in order to keep the office of governor under Whig control. MeanwhileFree Soil candidateEdward Harris was nominated for a third consecutive time after his election losses during the1849 and1850 Rhode Island gubernatorial election. On election day, 2 April 1851, democratic nomineePhilip Allen won the election by a margin of 829 votes against his foremost opponentJosiah Chapin. Allen was sworn in as the 22nd governor of Rhode Island on 6 May 1851.[2]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Philip Allen | 6,935 | 52.37 | |
| Whig | Josiah Chapin | 6,106 | 46.11 | |
| Free Soil | Edward Harris | 184 | 1.39 | |
| Scattering | 17 | 0.13 | ||
| Total votes | 13,242 | 100.00 | ||
| Democraticgain fromWhig | ||||