1851 Texas lieutenant gubernatorial election

none June 2026 June 2026 ly 1851 Texas lieutenant gubernatorial election Texas Presidential no 1849 1853 August 4, 1851 James w henderson.png James W. Henderson Democratic Party (United States) 9,659 37.4% File:MattWard.jpg Matthias Ward Democratic Party (United States) 7,788 30.1% 3x4.svg Charles G. Keenan Democratic Party (United States) 5,740 22.2% 3x4.svg James S. Gillett Democratic Party (United States) 2,644 10.2% Lieutenant Governor John Alexander Greer Democratic Party (United States) James W. Henderson Democratic Party (United States) The 1851Texas lieutenant gubernatorial election was held on August 4, 1851, in order to elect the lieutenant governor of Texas. The former Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives, Democrat James W. Henderson, won a competitive four–way race and became the third lieutenant governor of Texas. General election The incumbent lieutenant governor, John Alexander Greer did not run for reelection. Instead he chose to challenge the incumbent governor Peter H. Bell. There had not been a strong partisan during the Republic period of Texas. The Democrats did have a strong presence within the state, as a result of the 1848 presidential election, but not all members of the political class had aligned themselves to the new party. Even if they did identify with a political party, candidates often ran independent campaigns.https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/democratic-party TSHA The Evolution of the Democratic Party in Texas: A Historical Overview tshaonline.org April 22, 2026 Despite sympathy for the Democratic party in the United States, as yet there was no strong party tradition in the Republic of Texas. Before 1848, elections in Texas were conducted without organized political parties. Personality was the dominant political force in the state.https://www.texasalmanac.com/articles/elections-of-texas-governors-1845-2010 Elections of Texas Governors, 1845-2010 texasalmanac.com April 22, 2026 Prior to 1857 most candidates ran independently. James Henderson, who had run unsuccessfully for the office of lieutenant governor in the previous election, campaigned for the office again. His foremost opponents were state senator Matthias Ward and the incumbent Speaker of the Texas House Charles Keenan. Candidates James Shackleford Gillett, lawyer, Texas Ranger, representative in the Texas House of RepresentativesPeirce Margaret F. 1952 James S. Gillett: Lawyer, Military Officer, and Texas Pioneer https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/gillett-james-shackleford 2026-06-17 Texas State Historical Association en James Wilson Henderson, surveyor, lawyer, former Speaker of the Texas House of RepresentativesKemp L. W. 1976 James Wilson Henderson: Life and Legacy of a Texas Governor https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/henderson-james-wilson 2026-06-17 Texas State Historical Association en Charles G. Keenan, doctor, Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives 1952 Charles G. Keenan: Pioneer Physician and Legislator in Texas https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/keenan-charles-g 2026-06-17 Texas State Historical Association en Matthias Ward, state senator, member in the Republic of Texas CongressHooker Anne W. 1952 Matthias Ward: Lawyer, Politician, and U.S. Senator from Texas https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/ward-matthias 2026-06-17 Texas State Historical Association en Results Texas lieutenant gubernatorial election, 1851Jones Anson http://archive.org/details/cu31924028799513 Memoranda and official correspondence relating to the Republic of Texas, its history and annexation. Including a brief autobiography of the author 1859 New York : D. Appleton and Company Cornell University Library 620-621 en Democratic Party (United States) James W. Henderson 9,659 37.39 Democratic Party (United States) Matthias Ward 7,788 30.15 Democratic Party (United States) Charles G. Keenan 5,740 22.22 Democratic Party (United States) James S. Gillett 2,644 10.24 25,831 100.00 Democratic Party (United States) Aftermath Governor Peter H. Bell, who was reelected in the 1851 gubernatorial election, resigned from the office in order to fill a vacancy in congress.Hooker Anne W. 1952 Peter Hansborough Bell: Governor of Texas and War Hero https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/bell-peter-hansborough 2026-06-17 Texas State Historical Association en This led to James Henderson becoming Governor for the final 28 days of Bell's term. References Category:1851 Texas elections Category:Texas lieutenant gubernatorial elections Category:Government of Texas