April 1831 Massachusetts gubernatorial election
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The first 1831 Massachusetts gubernatorial election was held on April 14.
National Republican Governor Levi Lincoln Jr. was re-elected to a seventh term in office over Democrat Marcus Morton. This was the final regular Massachusetts election scheduled for April before the schedule changed to November, where it remains as of 2024. Lincoln was elected to a reduced term of eight months expiring in January, instead of the typical year-long term ending in May.
General election
Candidates
- Heman Lincoln (Anti-Masonic)
- Levi Lincoln Jr., incumbent Governor since 1825 (National Republican)
- Marcus Morton, Associate Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court, former acting Governor and nominee since 1828 (Democratic)
- Henry Shaw, former U.S. Representative from Lanesborough (Independent)
Campaign
Though the newly established Anti-Masonic Party was not strong enough to nominate a governor, Heman Lincoln and Henry Shaw both ran as independents appealing to Anti-Masonic voters.[1]
Results
The two Anti-Masons carried twenty-eight towns in the central part of the state; Democrats lost ground.[1]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Republican | Levi Lincoln Jr. (incumbent) | 31,875 | 65.19% |  0.33
| |
| Democratic | Marcus Morton | 12,694 | 25.96% | 4.65
| |
| Write-in | 2,120 | 4.34% |  0.47
| ||
| Anti-Masonic | Heman Lincoln (write-in) | 1,110 | 2.27% | N/A | |
| Independent | Henry Shaw | 1,096 | 2.24% | N/A | |
| Total votes | 47,173 | 100.00% | |||
See also
References
- ^ a b Darling, Arthur B. (1925). Political Changes in Massachusetts, 1824–1848. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press. p. 93.
- ^ "MA Governor". OurCampaigns. Retrieved May 19, 2021.