The 1839 Georgia gubernatorial election was held on October 7, 1839, to elect the governor of Georgia. The Democratic Union candidate Charles McDonald won the election defeating Whig State Rights Candidate Charles Dougherty, with the election being decided by 1,907 votes.[2][3]
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 Results by County[1] McDonald: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Dougherty: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Background
During this time, Georgian politics were dominated by two local parties, the Union party and the State Rights party. The Union party was the product of the forces of liberal democracy that brought white manhood suffrage and popular elections in the 1800s. The State Rights party, on the other hand, was a political anomaly whose conservative politics and organization were more closely related to those of the late 1800s.[4]
Since the 1836 presidential election the Union and State Rights parties have slowly merged with the Democratic and Whig parties respectively.[4]
General election
Candidates
Democratic
- Charles McDonald, Former Brigadier general.[5]
Whig
- Charles Dougherty, Lawyer
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Charles McDonald | 34,634 | 51.4 | +2 | |
| Whig | Charles Dougherty | 32,807 | 48.6 | -2 | |
| Total votes | 67,441 | 100 | |||