The Vermont Republic gubernatorial election of 1789 took place in September.[1] Though incumbent Governor Thomas Chittenden won a plurality of the popular vote over his main competitor, Vermont Supreme Court Chief Justice Moses Robinson, the Vermont Constitution required that the legislature choose if no candidate won a majority.[1]
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The Vermont General Assembly met in Westminster on October 8 to count the votes of the freemen for governor of the Republic of Vermont, lieutenant governor, treasurer, and members of the governor's council.[1] Joseph Marsh was easily re-elected as lieutenant governor, and Samuel Mattocks was chosen for another term as treasurer.[1]
For the first time since the founding of the Vermont Republic in 1778, Chittenden found himself in political difficulty.[2] Shortly before the election, he had granted Ira Allen title to the town of Woodbridge (now Highgate) but had neglected to first obtain the approval of the governor's council.[2] Chittenden was accused of malfeasance for supposedly favoring a clique led by the Allen family with respect to land grants.[2]
As a result of the controversy, On October 9, the legislature chose Robinson, the first time Chittenden had not been elected governor.[1][2] Robinson served a one-year term, but the controversy over the Woodbridge land grant abated, and Chittenden was returned to office in 1790.[2]
Results
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No party affiliation | Thomas Chittenden (incumbent) | 1,263 | 43.34 | |
| No party affiliation | Moses Robinson | 746 | 25.60 | |
| No party affiliation | Samuel Safford | 478 | 16.40 | |
| No party affiliation | Joseph Marsh | 94 | 3.23 | |
| No party affiliation | Ebenezer Marvin | 87 | 2.99 | |
| No party affiliation | Stephen R. Bradley | 76 | 2.61 | |
| No party affiliation | Jonathan Arnold | 47 | 1.61 | |
| No party affiliation | Isaac Tichenor | 35 | 1.20 | |
| No party affiliation | Gideon Olin | 32 | 1.10 | |
| No party affiliation | Paul Spooner | 11 | 0.38 | |
| No party affiliation | Nathaniel Niles | 10 | 0.34 | |
| No party affiliation | Alexander Harvey | 8 | 0.27 | |
| No party affiliation | Noah Smith | 6 | 0.21 | |
| No party affiliation | Joseph Smith | 5 | 0.17 | |
| No party affiliation | Job Smith | 4 | 0.14 | |
| No party affiliation | John Strong | 3 | 0.10 | |
| No party affiliation | Timothy Brownson | 2 | 0.06 | |
| No party affiliation | Samuel Mattocks | 2 | 0.06 | |
| No party affiliation | Aaron Barlow | 1 | 0.03 | |
| No party affiliation | Daniel Held | 1 | 0.03 | |
| No party affiliation | Jonathan Hunt | 1 | 0.03 | |
| No party affiliation | Jonathan Robinson | 1 | 0.03 | |
| No party affiliation | Joseph Wood | 1 | 0.03 | |
| Total votes | 2,914 | 100 | ||
References
edit- ^ a b c d e Walton, E. P., ed. (1875). Records of the Governor and Council of the State of Vermont. Vol. III. Montpelier, VT: J. & J. M. Poland. pp. 185–186 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b c d e Bushnell, Mark (December 21, 2008). "Chipman puts a hole in Allen myth". Rutland Herald. Rutland, VT.