1851 California gubernatorial election
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 County results Bigler: 50–60% 60–70% Reading: 50–60% 60–70% 80–90% >90% Tie: 50% No Results: | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in California |
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The 1851 California gubernatorial election was held on September 3, 1851, to elect the governor of California.
During the 1851 convention, the Democratic Party refused to renominate incumbent John McDougal as the party's choice for governor. Instead, state Democrats nominated Assembly Speaker John Bigler.
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | John Bigler | 23,175 | 50.48% | ||
| Whig | Pierson B. Reading | 22,735 | 49.52% | ||
| Majority | 440 | 0.96% | |||
| Total votes | 45,910 | 100.00% | |||
| Democratic hold | |||||
Results by county
| County | John Bigler Democratic |
Pierson B. Reading Whig |
Margin | Total votes cast[1] | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Butte | 1,410 | 53.84% | 1,209 | 46.16% | 201 | 7.67% | 2,619 |
| Calaveras | 1,780 | 62.28% | 1,078 | 37.72% | 702 | 24.56% | 2,858 |
| Colusa | 77 | 48.73% | 81 | 51.27% | -4 | -2.53% | 158 |
| Contra Costa | 174 | 49.01% | 181 | 50.99% | -7 | -1.97% | 355 |
| El Dorado | 3,072 | 53.88% | 2,630 | 46.12% | 442 | 7.75% | 5,702 |
| Klamath | 170 | 33.53% | 337 | 66.47% | -167 | -32.94% | 507 |
| Los Angeles | 72 | 14.52% | 424 | 85.48% | -352 | -70.97% | 496 |
| Marin | 12 | 7.59% | 146 | 92.41% | -134 | -84.81% | 158 |
| Mariposa | 779 | 55.92% | 614 | 44.08% | 165 | 11.84% | 1,393 |
| Monterey | 195 | 60.56% | 127 | 39.44% | 68 | 21.12% | 322 |
| Napa | 82 | 36.77% | 141 | 63.23% | -59 | -26.46% | 223 |
| Nevada | 1,466 | 50.81% | 1,419 | 49.19% | 47 | 1.63% | 2,885 |
| Placer | 1,196 | 59.03% | 830 | 40.97% | 366 | 18.07% | 2,026 |
| Sacramento | 2,269 | 55.14% | 1,846 | 44.86% | 423 | 10.28% | 5,774 |
| San Diego | 104 | 63.41% | 60 | 36.59% | 44 | 26.83% | 164 |
| San Francisco | 2,431 | 42.10% | 3,343 | 57.90% | -912 | -15.79% | 5,774 |
| San Joaquin | 801 | 50.00% | 801 | 50.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,602 |
| San Luis Obispo | 8 | 12.12% | 58 | 87.88% | -50 | -75.76% | 66 |
| Santa Barbara | 0 | 0.00% | 205 | 100.00% | -205 | -100.00% | 205 |
| Santa Clara | 377 | 31.00% | 869 | 69.00% | -462 | -37.99% | 1,216 |
| Santa Cruz | 35 | 14.11% | 213 | 85.89% | -178 | -71.77% | 248 |
| Shasta | 1,169 | 54.52% | 975 | 45.48% | 194 | 9.05% | 2,144 |
| Solano | 233 | 37.22% | 393 | 62.78% | -160 | -25.56% | 626 |
| Sonoma | 193 | 47.89% | 210 | 52.11% | -17 | -4.22% | 403 |
| Sutter | 139 | 52.85% | 124 | 47.15% | 15 | 5.70% | 263 |
| Trinity | 552 | 50.32% | 545 | 49.68% | 7 | 0.64% | 1,097 |
| Tuolumne | 1,580 | 52.51% | 1,429 | 47.49% | 151 | 5.02% | 3,009 |
| Yolo | 292 | 61.60% | 182 | 38.40% | 110 | 23.21% | 474 |
| Yuba | 2,507 | 52.21% | 2,295 | 47.79% | 212 | 4.41% | 4,802 |
| Total | 23,175 | 50.48% | 22,735 | 49.52% | 440 | 0.96% | 45,910 |