1863 Election Cycle

In January, the state legislature elected former Pennsylvania U.S. Representative, Minnesota Territorial Governor, St. Paul Mayor, and sitting Republican Governor Alexander Ramsey to the U.S. Senate.

In November, Republicans swept all seven statewide offices for Governor (Stephen Miller), Lieutenant Governor (Charles Sherwood), Secretary of State (David Blakely), Auditor (Charles McIlrath), Treasurer (Charles Scheffer), Attorney General (Gordon Cole), and Clerk of the Supreme Court (George Potter) – each by more than 20 points. Scheffer and Cole won their third terms while McIlrath was elected to his second.

Elections

Date Office Stage Winners Details
11/03/1863 Clerk of the Supreme Court General George F. (G.F.) Potter (Republican) won with 19,337 votes (61.05%) and a winning margin of +22.10
Candidate Gender Party Votes Percent
George F. (G.F.) Potter Man Republican 19,337 61.05
Jacob Mainzer Man Democrat 12,336 38.95

Potter was an attorney from Houston County.

Mainzer was an attorney from St. Paul.

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11/03/1863 Auditor General Charles McIlrath (Republican) won with 19,261 votes (61.24%) and a winning margin of +22.48
Candidate Gender Party Votes Percent
Charles McIlrath Incumbent Man Republican 19,261 61.24
John (J.H.) McKinney Man Democrat 12,190 38.76

Auditor McIlrath was reelected to a second term.

McKinney was the former Receiver at the U.S. Land Office in Chatfield and Brownsville.

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11/03/1863 Attorney General General Gordon E. Cole (Republican) won with 19,575 votes (61.35%) and a winning margin of +22.70
Candidate Gender Party Votes Percent
Gordon E. Cole Incumbent Man Republican 19,575 61.35
William H. Grant Man Democrat 12,332 38.65

Attorney General Cole was reelected to a third term.

Grant was an attorney from St. Paul.

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11/03/1863 Secretary of State General David Blakely (Republican) won with 19,643 votes (60.73%) and a winning margin of +21.46
Candidate Gender Party Votes Percent
David Blakely Incumbent Man Republican 19,643 60.73
Amos Coggswell Man Democrat 12,701 39.27

Governor Alexander Ramsey appointed David Blakely of St. Paul after Republican Secretary of State James Baker resigned on November 17, 1862 to serve in the Union Army as a colonel of the 10th Minnesota Volunteer Infantry. Blakely was a newspaper publisher who served as the Clerk of the Minnesota House of Representatives from 1861-1862.

Cogswell was a farmer from Aurora, former Republican state Representative (HD 15, 1859-1861) and Speaker of the House, and future state Senator (SD 12, 1872-1876).

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11/03/1863 Governor General Stephen Miller (Republican) won with 19,628 votes (60.64%) and a winning margin of +21.28
Candidate Gender Party Votes Percent
Stephen Miller Man Republican 19,628 60.64
Henry T. Welles Man Democrat 12,739 39.36

Miller, a resident of St. Cloud, received the rank of a Brigadier General of United States Volunteers during the Civil War. He was later elected to the state House from Worthington (HD 38, 1873-1874).

Welles was a resident of Minneapolis and involved in real estate. He was the first Mayor of St. Anthony Falls (1855) and first President of the Minneapolis Town Council (1858).

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