1860 Election Cycle

Minnesotans got their first chance to vote in a presidential election and backed Abraham Lincoln by 29 points in the first of 13 consecutive wins by the Republican Party. Republicans also won back the offices of Auditor (Charles McIlrath) and Clerk of the Supreme Court (Andrew (A.J.) Van Vorhes) by nearly as large margins and swept both at-large U.S. House seats for the second consecutive cycle.

The Apportionment of 1860 reduced the number of senators from 37 to 21 and the number of representatives from 80 to 42. There were 21 senate districts eliminating multi-member districts for the upper legislative chamber.

Elections

Date Office Stage Winners Details
11/06/1860 President / Vice President General Abraham Lincoln (Republican) won with 22,069 votes (63.53%) and a winning margin of +29.22
Candidate Gender Party Votes Percent
Abraham Lincoln with Hannibal Hamlin Man Republican 22,069 63.53
Stephen Douglas with Herschel Johnson Man Democrat 11,920 34.31
John Breckinridge with Joseph Lane Man Democrat Southern Faction 748 2.15

Lincoln and Hamlin each received Minnesota's four Electoral College votes. Lincoln's margin would remain the largest in the state until Teddy Roosevelt's 55.1-point victory in 1904.

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11/06/1860 Auditor General Charles McIlrath (Republican) won with 21,464 votes (62.40%) and a winning margin of +27.07
Candidate Gender Party Votes Percent
Charles McIlrath Man Republican 21,464 62.40
Herman Trott Man Democrat 12,153 35.33
Josiah S. (J.S.) Weiser Man Democrat Southern Faction 779 2.26
Cyrus Aldrich Man Write-In 1 0.00
Jacob J. (J.J.) Noah Man Write-In 1 0.00

Note: Weiser's tally includes 15 votes for "J.S. Weiser," four votes for "J. Weiser," and two votes for G.S. Weiser.

McIlrath was a resident of Nicollet County.

Trott was a resident and first justice of the peace of Pine County and chairman of the board of county commissioners that organized Pine County. He would later serve as a state Representative (HD 21, 1866-1867) and on the St. Paul Board of Education (1869-1871).

Weiser was a resident of Scott County.

Aldrich was a sitting Republican U.S. Representative.

Noah was the sitting Democrat Clerk of the Supreme Court.

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11/06/1860 Clerk of the Supreme Court General Andrew (A.J.) Van Vorhes (Republican) won with 21,558 votes (62.67%) and a winning margin of +27.48
Candidate Gender Party Votes Percent
Andrew (A.J.) Van Vorhes Man Republican 21,558 62.67
Jacob J. (J.J.) Noah Incumbent Man Democrat 12,106 35.19
William B. Leach Man Democrat Southern Faction 727 2.11
Jacob J. (J.J.) Noah Man Write-In 8 0.02
Josiah S. (J.S.) Weiser Man Write-In 1 0.00

Noah was the first Clerk of the Supreme Court defeated for reelection.

Van Vorhes was editor of the Stillwater Messenger.

Leach was a resident of Dakota County.

Weiser was the Democrat Southern Faction nominee for Auditor.

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11/06/1860 State Senate, District 01 General James K. Smith (Republican) won with 708 votes (51.27%) and a winning margin of +2.53
Candidate Gender Party Votes Percent
James K. Smith Man Republican 708 51.27
James C. (J.C.) Burbank Man Democrat 673 48.73
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11/06/1860 U.S. House General Cyrus Aldrich (Republican) won with 22,333 votes (31.73%) and a winning margin of +14.44
William Windom (Republican) won with 22,165 votes (31.49%) and a winning margin of +14.20
Candidate Gender Party Votes Percent
Cyrus Aldrich Incumbent Man Republican 22,333 31.73
William Windom Incumbent Man Republican 22,165 31.49
John Gilman Man Democrat 12,168 17.29
James George Man Democrat 12,125 17.23
Alonzo J. (A.J.) Edgerton Man Breckinridge Democrat 787 1.12
James W. Taylor Man Breckinridge Democrat 769 1.09

Two at-large U.S. Representatives elected.

George was a resident of Dodge County.

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