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The 1863 California gubernatorial election was held on September 2, 1863, to elect the governor of California. Former governor John G. Downey was unsuccessful in his bid for reelection to a second, non-consecutive term, losing to former United States Representative Frederick Low. This was the state's first gubernatorial election for a four-year term; previous governors had only served two-year terms.

Results

California gubernatorial election, 1863[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Union Frederick Low 64,283 59.03% +12.22%
Democratic John G. Downey 44,622 40.97% −12.23%
Scattering 1 0.00%
Total votes 108,906 100.00%
Majority 19,661 18.05%
National Union hold Swing -1.39%

Results by county

County[a] Frederick Low
National Union
John G. Downey
Democratic
Scattering
Write-in
Margin Total votes cast[1]
# % # % # % # %
Alameda 1,404 63.59% 804 36.41% 0 0.00% 600 27.17% 2,208
Amador 2,245 52.10% 2,064 47.90% 0 0.00% 181 4.20% 4,309
Butte 1,876 55.73% 1,490 44.27% 0 0.00% 386 11.47% 3,366
Calaveras 2,278 52.89% 2,029 47.11% 0 0.00% 249 5.78% 4,307
Colusa 479 45.93% 564 54.07% 0 0.00% -85 -8.15% 1,043
Contra Costa 1,064 66.58% 534 33.42% 0 0.00% -530 -33.17% 1,598
Del Norte 184 54.76% 152 45.24% 0 0.00% 32 9.52% 336
El Dorado 3,210 60.01% 2,139 39.99% 0 0.00% 1,071 20.02% 5,349
Fresno 83 18.00% 378 82.00% 0 0.00% -295 -63.99% 461
Humboldt 502 71.92% 196 28.08% 0 0.00% 306 43.84% 698
Klamath 204 50.62% 199 49.38% 0 0.00% 5 1.24% 403
Los Angeles 702 41.69% 982 58.31% 0 0.00% -280 -16.63% 1,684
Marin 640 56.69% 489 43.31% 0 0.00% 151 13.37% 1,129
Mariposa 835 47.55% 921 52.45% 0 0.00% -86 -4.90% 1,756
Mendocino 632 52.54% 571 47.46% 0 0.00% 61 5.07% 1,203
Merced 95 22.41% 329 77.59% 0 0.00% -234 -55.19% 424
Mono 1,009 59.21% 695 40.79% 0 0.00% 314 18.43% 1,704
Monterey 522 50.73% 507 49.27% 0 0.00% 15 1.46% 1,029
Napa 898 57.64% 660 42.36% 0 0.00% 238 15.28% 1,558
Nevada 2,882 62.14% 1,756 37.86% 0 0.00% 1,126 24.28% 4,638
Placer 2,057 55.94% 1,620 44.06% 0 0.00% 437 11.88% 3,677
Plumas 1,288 62.71% 766 37.29% 0 0.00% 522 25.41% 2,054
Sacramento 3,553 64.64% 1,944 35.36% 0 0.00% 1,609 29.27% 5,497
San Bernardino 361 48.98% 376 51.02% 0 0.00% -15 -2.04% 737
San Diego 116 46.77% 132 53.23% 0 0.00% -16 -6.45% 248
San Francisco 9,261 62.94% 5,452 37.06% 0 0.00% 3,809 25.89% 14,713
San Joaquin 1,981 57.35% 1,473 42.65% 0 0.00% 508 14.71% 3,454
San Luis Obispo 260 54.28% 219 45.72% 0 0.00% 41 8.56% 479
San Mateo 834 71.04% 340 28.96% 0 0.00% 494 42.08% 1,174
Santa Barbara 481 77.08% 143 22.92% 0 0.00% 338 54.17% 624
Santa Clara 2,034 57.15% 1,525 42.85% 0 0.00% 509 14.30% 3,559
Santa Cruz 904 69.17% 403 30.83% 0 0.00% 501 38.33% 1,307
Shasta 936 60.27% 617 39.73% 0 0.00% 319 20.54% 1,553
Sierra 2,380 64.62% 1,303 35.38% 0 0.00% 1,077 29.24% 3,683
Siskiyou 1,053 51.29% 999 48.66% 1 0.05% 54 2.63% 2,053
Solano 1,521 57.50% 1,124 42.50% 0 0.00% 397 15.01% 2,645
Sonoma 1,700 49.82% 1,712 50.18% 0 0.00% -12 -0.35% 3,412
Stanislaus 347 46.51% 399 53.49% 0 0.00% -52 -6.97% 746
Sutter 718 51.40% 679 48.60% 0 0.00% 39 2.79% 1,397
Tehama 533 54.06% 453 45.94% 0 0.00% 80 8.11% 986
Trinity 785 56.52% 604 43.48% 0 0.00% 181 13.03% 1,389
Tulare 610 46.04% 715 53.96% 0 0.00% -105 -7.92% 1,325
Tuolumne 1,813 49.31% 1,864 50.69% 0 0.00% -51 -1.39% 3,677
Yolo 865 52.97% 768 47.03% 0 0.00% 97 5.94% 1,633
Yuba 1,989 58.81% 1,393 41.19% 0 0.00% 596 17.62% 3,382
Soldiers 4,159 96.74% 140 3.26% 0 0.00% 4,019 93.49% 4,299
Total 64,283 59.03% 44,622 40.97% 1 0.00% 19,661 18.05% 108,906

Counties that flipped from Democratic to National Union

Counties that flipped from National Union to Democratic

Notes

  1. ^ No return from Lake County

References

  1. ^ a b California State Archives, Statement of the Votes Polled at a General Election Held in the State of California, on Wednesday, the Second Day of September, A.D. 1863


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