The 1858 Oregon gubernatorial election took place on June 7, 1858, to elect the first governor in anticipation of Oregon statehood. With the state Democratic Party split into factions driven by personal rivalry and state government influence, the election matched insurgent E. M. Barnum against establishment candidate John Whiteaker, who won. The Republican Party first nominated John Denny, but he later withdrew in favor of the insurgent Democrat, whom the party hoped to win over to the Republicans.[1]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | John Whiteaker | 5,134 | 54.66% | ||
| Democratic | E. M. Barnum | 4,213 | 44.86% | ||
| Republican | John Denny | 45 | 0.48% | ||
| Total votes | 9,392 | 100.00% | |||
| Majority | 921 | 9.81% | |||
| Democratic hold | |||||
Results by county
| County[2][3][4] | John Whiteaker Democratic |
E. M. Barnum Democratic |
John Denny Republican |
Margin | Total votes cast | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Benton | 212 | 34.36% | 405 | 65.64% | 0 | 0.00% | -193 | -31.28% | 617 |
| Clackamas | 346 | 47.46% | 383 | 52.54% | 0 | 0.00% | -37 | -5.08% | 729 |
| Clatsop | 37 | 37.37% | 61 | 61.62% | 1 | 1.01% | -24 | -24.24% | 99 |
| Columbia | 55 | 48.25% | 59 | 51.75% | 0 | 0.00% | -4 | -3.51% | 114 |
| Coos | 84 | 86.60% | 7 | 7.22% | 6 | 6.19% | 77 | 79.38% | 97 |
| Curry | 126 | 94.03% | 8 | 5.97% | 0 | 0.00% | 118 | 88.06% | 134 |
| Douglas | 301 | 49.10% | 307 | 50.08% | 5 | 0.82% | -6 | -0.98% | 613 |
| Jackson | 440 | 50.11% | 432 | 49.20% | 6 | 0.68% | 8 | 0.91% | 878 |
| Lane | 481 | 54.72% | 393 | 44.71% | 5 | 0.57% | 88 | 10.01% | 879 |
| Linn | 776 | 76.45% | 219 | 21.58% | 20 | 1.97% | 557 | 54.88% | 1,015 |
| Marion | 736 | 64.34% | 408 | 35.66% | 0 | 0.00% | 328 | 28.67% | 1,144 |
| Multnomah | 398 | 42.57% | 536 | 57.33% | 1 | 0.11% | -138 | -14.76% | 935 |
| Polk | 359 | 58.09% | 259 | 41.91% | 0 | 0.00% | 100 | 16.18% | 618 |
| Tillamook | 16 | 84.21% | 3 | 15.79% | 0 | 0.00% | 13 | 68.42% | 19 |
| Umpqua | 108 | 53.73% | 93 | 46.27% | 0 | 0.00% | 15 | 7.46% | 201 |
| Wasco | 212 | 92.98% | 16 | 7.02% | 0 | 0.00% | 196 | 85.96% | 228 |
| Washington | 188 | 47.72% | 205 | 52.28% | 0 | 0.00% | -18 | -4.57% | 394 |
| Yamhill | 259 | 38.20% | 418 | 61.65% | 1 | 0.15% | -159 | -23.45% | 678 |
| Total | 5,134 | 54.66% | 4,213 | 44.86% | 45 | 0.48% | 921 | 9.81% | 9,392 |
References
- ↑ "John Whiteaker". Governors of Oregon. Oregon State Library. Archived from the original on September 23, 2006. Retrieved February 18, 2009.
- 1 2 Bush, Asahel (1859). Journal of the House of Representatives of the Legislative Assembly of the State of Oregon, During the First Sessions Thereof, 1858. Salem: State Printer. p. 24. Retrieved April 9, 2026.
- 1 2 "Official Result of the State Election". The Oregon Argus. Vol. IV, no. 15. Oregon City. July 24, 1858. p. 2. Retrieved April 9, 2026.
- 1 2 The Tribune Almanac and Political Register for 1859. New York: H. Greeley and Company. 1859. p. 63. Retrieved April 9, 2026.