| Elections in Texas |
|---|
 |
 Government |
The 1853 Texas gubernatorial election was held on August 1, 1853, to elect the governor of Texas.
Incumbent Governor Peter Hansborough Bell did not run for a third term. The election was won by Elisha M. Pease, who received 36% of the vote. This is the lowest percentage of the popular vote a Texas governor has received and still won an election.
General election
Candidates
- Thomas J. Chambers, unsuccessful candidate for governor in 1851, former chief justice of Texas, land speculator and real estate developer (Democratic)[2]
- John W. S. Dancy, state representative, former member of the Congress of the Republic of Texas (Democratic)[3]
- Lemuel D. Evans, lawyer, former district judge of Harrison County, veteran of the Mexican-American War, delegate to the 1845 annexation convention (Democratic)[4]
- William Beck Ochiltree, Nacogdoches judge, former Secretary of the Treasury of the Republic of Texas, delegate to the 1845 annexation convention (Whig)[5]
- Elisha M. Pease, unsuccessful candidate for governor in 1851, former state senator, former Comptroller of Public Accounts of the Republic of Texas (Democratic)[6]
- George Tyler Wood, former Governor of Texas, plantation owner, veteran of the Mexican-American War (Independent Democratic)[7]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Elisha M. Pease | 13,091 | 36.21% | |
| Whig | William Beck Ochiltree | 9,178 | 25.39% | |
| Independent Democrat | George Tyler Wood | 5,983 | 16.56% | |
| Democratic | Lemuel D. Evans | 4,677 | 12.94% | |
| Democratic | Thomas J. Chambers | 2,449 | 6.77% | |
| Write-in | 459 | 1.27% | ||
| Democratic | John W. S. Dancy | 315 | 0.87% | |
| Total votes | 36,152 | 100.00% | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
References
- ↑ "OurCampaigns". August 7, 2024.
- ↑ Henson, Margaret S. (1952). "Thomas Jefferson Chambers: Life of a Texas Land Speculator and Lawyer". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved June 23, 2026.
- ↑ Landis, Lawrence A. (1976). "John Winfield Scott Dancy: Pioneer Legislator and Railroad Advocate in Texas". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
- ↑ Hart, Brian (1952). "Lemuel Dale Evans: Unionist Leader and Texas Supreme Court Judge". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
- ↑ Blake, Robert Bruce (1952). "William Beck Ochiltree: Pioneer Settler, Judge, and Legislator". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
- ↑ Griffin, Roger A. (1976). "Elisha Marshall Pease: Governor of Texas and Advocate for Education". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved June 23, 2026.
- ↑ Wheat, J.E. (1976). "George Tyler Wood: Second Governor of Texas". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved June 23, 2026.
- ↑ "Texas Almanac". Archived from the original on November 19, 2015. Retrieved August 19, 2015.
- ↑ An alternative color-scheme was used because of the varying vote swings and to better differentiate between counties