Misplaced Pages

1840 Maine gubernatorial election

← 1839 September 14, 1840 1841 →

Nominee Edward Kent John Fairfield Party Whig Democratic Electoral vote (Elected) Popular vote 45,574 45,507 Percentage 49.98% 49.91%

County results Kent:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% Fairfield:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% No Data/Vote:

Governor before election John Fairfield Democratic Elected Governor Edward Kent Whig

Elections in Maine
Federal offices U.S. President 1820 1824 1828 1832 1836 1840 1844 1848 1852 1856 1860 1864 1868 1872 1876 1880 1884 1888 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 Dem 1988 1992 1996 2000 Dem 2004 Dem 2008 Dem Rep 2012 Rep 2016 Dem Rep 2020 Dem Rep 2024 Dem Rep U.S. Senate 1820 1821 1823 1823 1827 1829 sp 1835 1835 sp 1837 sp 1839 1840 1843 sp 1846 1848 sp 1851 1854 sp 1857 1857 sp 1859 1861 sp 1863 1865 sp 1869 1870 sp 1875 1877 1877 sp 1880 1881 1881 sp 1883 1887 1889 1893 1895 1899 1901 1905 1907 1911 1912 sp 1913 1916 1916 sp 1918 1922 1924 1926 sp 1928 1930 1934 1936 1940 1942 1946 1948 1952 1954 1958 1960 1964 1966 1970 1972 1976 1978 1982 1984 1988 1990 1994 1996 2000 2002 2006 2008 2012 2014 2018 2020 2024 2026 U.S. House of Representatives 1820–1821 1822 sp 2nd 1823 1824–1825 1826–1827 1826 sp 5th 1827 sp 1st 1828–1830 1830 1833 1834 1836 1838 1840 1843 1844 1846 1848 1850 1852 1854 1856 1858 1860 1860 sp 5th 1862 1864 1866 1868 1870 1872 1874 1876 1878 1880 1881 sp 2nd 1882 1884 1886 1888 1890 1892 1894 1896 1897 sp 3rd 1898 1899 sp 1st 1899 sp 2nd 1900 1901 sp 4th 1902 1904 1906 1908 1908 sp 2nd 1908 sp 4th 1910 1912 1913 sp 3rd 1914 1916 1918 1920 1922 1924 1926 1928 1930 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 1940 sp 2nd 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1951 sp 3rd 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024 2026
State government Gubernatorial elections 1820 1821 1822 1823 1824 1825 1826 1827 1828 1829 1830 1831 1832 1833 1834 1835 1836 1837 1838 1839 1840 1841 1842 1843 1844 1845 1846 1847 1848 1849 1850 1852 1853 1854 1855 1856 1857 1858 1859 1860 1861 1862 1863 1864 1865 1866 1867 1868 1869 1870 1871 1872 1873 1874 1875 1876 1877 1878 1879 1880 1882 1884 1886 1888 1890 1892 1894 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1914 1916 1918 1920 1922 1924 1926 1928 1930 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1966 1970 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022 2026 State Senate elections 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024 State House elections 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024
Ballot measures People's vetoes 2009 Question 1 2011 Question 1 2018 Question 1 (Jun) 2020 Question 1 Citizen initiated referendums 2012 Question 1 2014 Question 1 2015 Question 1 2016 Question 1 Question 2 Question 3 Question 4 Question 5 2017 Question 1 Question 2 2018 Question 1 (Nov) 2021 Question 1 2023 Question 1 Constitutional amendments 2021 Question 3 Legislatively referred referendums 2024 Question 5
City of Portland Mayoral elections 2011 2015 2019 2023
v t e

A gubernatorial election was held in Maine on September 14, 1840. The former mayor of Bangor Edward Kent, the Whig nominee, defeated the incumbent governor John Fairfield, the Democratic nominee.

The election took place in advance of the 1840 United States presidential election, with the Maine state elections attracting national attention for their potential to foretell the outcome of the national contest. A fierce partisan campaign ensued, in which the Whigs sought to capitalize on the grassroots enthusiasm for their national ticket, headed by the former major general and United States senator from Ohio, William Henry Harrison by donning log cabin badges and other emblems of Harrison's presidential campaign. On election day, early returns variously showed either Kent or Fairfield narrowly ahead, with neither candidate conceding defeat. Democrats alleged that 28 votes cast for Hannibal Hamlin, the Democratic candidate for the United States House of Representatives from Maine's 6th congressional district, had been intended for Fairfield which with the addition of other contested votes from unincorporated areas would give him a narrow majority. The legislature found that Kent had outpolled Fairfield by fewer than 70 votes, less than a majority of the total electorate, with 98 votes for other candidates. The election was referred to the Senate, where the Whig majority elected Kent.

Results

References

1. Dubin 2003, p. 91.
2. The Letters of John Fairfield, pp. 274–76.

Works cited

• Fairfield, John (1922). Staples, Arthur G. (ed.). The Letters of John Fairfield. Lewiston, ME: Lewiston Journal Company.
• Dubin, Michael J. (2003). United States Gubernatorial Elections, 1776-1860: The Official Results by State and County. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland. ISBN 0786414391.

v t e Elections and referendums in Maine
Presidential elections	1820 1824 1828 1832 1836 1840 1844 1848 1852 1856 1860 1864 1868 1872 1876 1880 1884 1888 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024
Senate elections	Class 1 1916 1922 1928 1934 1940 1946 1952 1958 1964 1970 1976 1982 1988 1994 2000 2006 2012 2018 2024 Class 2 1918 1924 1930 1936 1942 1948 1954 1960 1966 1972 1978 1984 1990 1996 2002 2008 2014 2020
House elections	1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024
Gubernatorial elections	1820 1821 1822 1823 1824 1825 1826 1827 1828 1829 1830 1831 1832 1833 1834 1835 1836 1837 1838 1839 1840 1841 1842 1843 1844 1845 1846 1847 1848 1849 1850 1852 1853 1854 1855 1856 1857 1858 1859 1860 1861 1862 1863 1864 1865 1866 1867 1868 1869 1870 1871 1872 1873 1874 1875 1876 1877 1878 1879 1880 1882 1884 1886 1888 1890 1892 1894 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1914 1916 1918 1920 1922 1924 1926 1928 1930 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1966 1970 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022 2026
Legislative elections	State Senate 2018 2020 2022 2024 State House 2018 2020 2022 2024
Referendums	2009 2011 2012 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2020 2021 2023 2024

• 1840 Maine elections
• Maine gubernatorial elections
• September 1840 events
• 1840 United States gubernatorial elections