1857 Texas lieutenant gubernatorial election

none June 2026 June 2026 1857 Texas lieutenant gubernatorial election Texas presidential no 1855 1859 August 3, 1857 0.45 Francis lubbock.jpg Francis Lubbock Democratic Party (United States) 33,379 61.1% 3x4.svg Jesse Grimes Independent 20,318 37.2% Lieutenant Governor Hardin Richard Runnels Democratic Party (United States) Elected Lieutenant Governor Francis Lubbock Democratic Party (United States) The 1857 Texas lieutenant gubernatorial election was held on August 3, 1857, to elect the lieutenant governor of Texas. Democratic candidate Francis R. Lubbock defeated independent candidate Jesse Grimes to become the sixth lieutenant governor of the state. Background Since the 1848 election, the Democratic Party had become the dominant political apparatus in the state. However, when it came to statewide offices, the party lacked organization for nominating candidates and most campaigns were conducted on an independent basis.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. The sudden rise and success of the American Party, popularly called the "Know Nothings", in the elections of 1854 and 1855, especially the dramatic party swaps of several high-profile Democratic officials,Griffin Roger A. 1952 The Rise and Fall of the Know-Nothing Movement in Texas https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/american-party 2026-06-22 Texas State Historical Association shocked the Democrats and triggered a mass organizational and logistical campaign to solidify the influence of the party's internal operation. After multiple years of having conventions fail due to lack of attendance from across the state, this drive resulted in the 1856 state convention having over 200 delegates from 91 of the state's 99 counties.Winkler Ernest William https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/ff/Platforms_of_political_parties_in_Texas_%28IA_platformsofpolit00winkrich%29.pdf?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=index&utm_content=original Platforms of Political Parties in Texas September 20, 1916 University of Texas 64–75 The Know Nothings also held a convention in 1856, but the national party collapsed over a split on the issue of slavery which was the defining political question of the era. In addition to the Know Nothings nativist and anti-catholic stances, many in the South were attracted to the party over its support of maintaining the Union amid rising sectionalism and threats of secession. The most prominent of these politicians in Texas was United States Senator and former President of Texas, Sam Houston.Kreneck Thomas H. 1952 Sam Houston: A Legacy of Leadership in Texas History https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/houston-sam 2026-06-22 Texas State Historical AssociationHarper Jr. Cecil 1952 Hardin R. Runnels: Texas Governor and Legislator https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/runnels-hardin-richard 2026-06-22 Texas State Historical Association The collapse of the Know Nothings left the Democratic Party as the sole political organization in the state. The 1857 Democratic convention was the largest ever had up to that point, and for the first time it nominated a unified slate of candidates for statewide office with lieutenant governor Hardin R. Runnels running for governor and Francis Lubbock as his running mate. The party also doubled down on its positions in defense of states rights and the right of the state to secede from the union if the institution of slavery was threatened.https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1324&context=ethj Politics and Society: the Popular Response to Political Rhetoric in Texas,1857-1860 Sfasu.org 2023-08-10 2023-08-10 There were many in the state who were concerned about the party's embrace of sectionalism and Sam Houston announced an independent campaign for governor. Former Know Nothings and less radical Democrats moved to support his campaign and soon Jesse Grimes, another figure from the Republic of Texas era, joined the independent ticket as the candidate for lieutenant governor. French Smith, another ally of Sam Houston, also garnered some support around his native Seguin.Smyrl Vivian Elizabeth 1952 Guadalupe County, Texas: History, Geography, and Economy https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/guadalupe-county 2026-06-22 Texas State Historical AssociationGlen Cove, French Smith Residence https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth687713/ Portal to Texas History Campaign Runnels lacked the oratorical skills necessary to be the face of the campaign and so Lubbock ended up doing most of the campaigning for the Democratic Party ticket. Houston embarked on a large speaking tour of the state, using his reputation as a war hero and founding father of Texas to gain support. However, his opposition to the Kansas-Nebraska Act and his prioritization of maintaining the Union over states' rights led to the vast majority of the newspapers in the state to oppose his candidacy.https://www.news-journal.com/opinion/craddock-the-time-sam-houston-lost-an-election/article_50f63d3a-3701-11e9-bfc8-d7e63fe6c11e.html The Time Sam Houston lost an Election 2023-08-10 News.Journal.com 2023-08-10 General election On election day, Lubbock defeated Grimes with over 61% of the vote. The legislature certified the election on November 4, 1857, and Lubbock was sworn into office on December 21, 1857.https://lrl.texas.gov/scanned/SenateJournals/7/S_7_0.pdf Journal of the Senate of Texas: Seventh Biennial Session. 1857 Austin : John Marshall & Co. 40–44 Candidates Jesse Grimes, former state senator, former member of Texas Congress, delegate at the Convention of 1836 and signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence (Independent)Kemp L. W. 1952 Jesse Grimes: Texas Declaration Signer and Early Texan Politician https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/grimes-jesse 2026-06-22 Texas State Historical Association Francis Lubbock, rancher, clerk of the Harris County district court, former Comptroller of the Republic of Texas (Democrat)Mitchell Louis 1952 Francis R. Lubbock: Governor of Texas and Confederate Leader https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/lubbock-francis-richard 2026-06-22 Texas State Historical Association French Smith (Independent) Results Texas lieutenant gubernatorial election, 1857https://lrl.texas.gov/scanned/SenateJournals/7/S_7_0.pdf Journal of the Senate of Texas: Seventh Biennial Session. 1857 Austin : John Marshall & Co. 40–44 Francis Lubbock Democratic Party (United States) 33,379 61.12 Jesse Grimes Independent 20,318 37.20 French Smith Independent 878 1.61 "Scattering" 37 0.00 54,612 100.00 Democratic Party (United States) References Category:Texas lieutenant gubernatorial elections Category:1857 Texas elections Category:August 1857 Category:Government of Texas