The 1856 New Hampshire gubernatorial election was held on 11 March 1856 in order to elect the Governor of New Hampshire. Incumbent Know Nothing Governor Ralph Metcalf won re-election against Democratic nominee and former United States Senator from New Hampshire John S. Wells and Whig nominee and former member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives Ichabod Goodwin.Since no candidate received a majority in the popular vote, Metcalf was elected by the New Hampshire General Court per the state constitution.[1]
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General election
On election day, 11 March 1856, incumbent Know Nothing Governor Ralph Metcalf won re-election by a margin of 88 votes against his foremost opponent Democratic nominee John S. Wells, but because no candidate received a majority of the popular vote, a separate election was held by the New Hampshire General Court, which chose Governor Metcalf as the winner. He thereby retained Know Nothing control over the office of Governor. Metcalf was sworn in for his second term on 7 June 1856.[2]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Know Nothing | Ralph Metcalf (incumbent) | 32,119 | 48.15 | |
| Democratic | John S. Wells | 32,031 | 48.02 | |
| Whig | Ichabod Goodwin | 2,360 | 3.54 | |
| Scattering | 193 | 0.29 | ||
| Total votes | 66,703 | 100.00 | ||
| Know Nothing hold | ||||