New York gubernatorial election, 1792
Encyclopedia
The 1792 New York gubernatorial election was held in April 1792 to elect the Governor
and Lieutenant Governor of New York
.
, Tioga
and Clinton
counties were disqualified and not canvassed, giving George Clinton a slight majority in the official result.
Under the Constitution of 1777, the votes were canvassed by a joint committee of the New York State Legislature, six members each from the Assembly
and the Senate
. The members were David Gelston
, Thomas Tillotson
, Melancton Smith
, Daniel Graham, Pierre Van Cortlandt, Jr.
, David McCarty, Jonathan N. Havens, Samuel Jones
, Isaac Roosevelt
, Leonard Gansevoort
and Joshua Sands. The state constitution said that the cast ballots shall be delivered to the Secretary of State
"by the sheriff or his deputy". The ballots from Otsego County were forwarded to the secretary of state by Sheriff Smith who was holding over in office until the appointment of a successor after his term had expired. The ballot box from Clinton County was delivered to the secretary of state's office by a person without deputation who had received the box from the sheriff. The ballot box from Tioga County was delivered to the secretary of state by the clerk of the special deputy appointed by the sheriff.
The canvass committee disagreed on whether to allow these ballots to be counted or not. The question was referred to the United States Senators from New York, Federalist Rufus King
and Democratic-Republican Aaron Burr
, for arbitration. King said all votes ought to be canvassed, Burr said that the ballots from Clinton County ought to be allowed, the ones from Otsego and Tioga counties should be rejected. Thereupon, a majority of the canvass committee (Gelston, Tillotson, Smith, Graham, Van Cortlandt, McCarty, Havens) rejected the ballots from all three counties and declared George Clinton duly elected governor by a majority of 108 votes.
The minority (Jones, Roosevelt, Gansevoort, Sands) protested in writing. In Otsego County, John Jay had a majority of about 400, and discounting the small majorities for Clinton in Tioga and Clinton counties, would have won the election. Clinton was accused by the Federalists of usurpation and the canvass committee of having made a partisan decision against the wishes of the electorate.
Governor of New York
The Governor of the State of New York is the chief executive of the State of New York. The governor is the head of the executive branch of New York's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military and naval forces. The officeholder is afforded the courtesy title of His/Her...
and Lieutenant Governor of New York
Lieutenant Governor of New York
The Lieutenant Governor of New York is a constitutional office in the executive branch of the government of New York State. It is the second highest ranking official in state government. The lieutenant governor is elected on a ticket with the governor for a four year term...
.
Results
John Jay received more votes than George Clinton, but on technicalities the votes of OtsegoOtsego County, New York
Otsego County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. The 2010 population was 62,259. The county seat is Cooperstown. The name Otsego is from a Mohawk word meaning "place of the rock."-History:...
, Tioga
Tioga County, New York
As of the census of 2010, there were 51,125 people residing in the county, with 22,203 housing units, of these 20,350 occupied, 1,853 vacant. The population density was 98 people per square mile...
and Clinton
Clinton County, New York
Clinton County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 82,128. Its name is in honor of the first Governor of New York as a state, George Clinton. Its county seat is Plattsburgh.-History:...
counties were disqualified and not canvassed, giving George Clinton a slight majority in the official result.
Under the Constitution of 1777, the votes were canvassed by a joint committee of the New York State Legislature, six members each from the Assembly
New York State Assembly
The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature. The Assembly is composed of 150 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 128,652...
and the Senate
New York State Senate
The New York State Senate is one of two houses in the New York State Legislature and has members each elected to two-year terms. There are no limits on the number of terms one may serve...
. The members were David Gelston
David Gelston
David Gelston was an American merchant and politician.-Life:...
, Thomas Tillotson
Thomas Tillotson
Thomas Tillotson was an American physician and politician.-Life:He received a thorough education, studied medicine, and practiced. During the American Revolutionary War, he was commissioned First lieutenant in the Maryland Militia in 1776...
, Melancton Smith
Melancton Smith
Melancton Smith was a New York Delegate to the Continental Congress. His first name is sometimes spelled "Melanchthon"; it derives from Philipp Melanchthon, the leader in the Reformation....
, Daniel Graham, Pierre Van Cortlandt, Jr.
Pierre Van Cortlandt, Jr.
Pierre Van Cortlandt, Jr. was a United States Representative from New York. A member of New York's Van Cortlandt family, he was the son of Pierre Van Cortlandt, an early New York political figure, and brother of Philip Van Cortlandt, who was also a U.S. Representative from New York...
, David McCarty, Jonathan N. Havens, Samuel Jones
Samuel Jones (NY comptroller)
Samuel Jones was an American lawyer and politician.-Life:He was the son of William Jones and Phoebe Jones ....
, Isaac Roosevelt
Isaac Roosevelt (politician)
Isaac Roosevelt was an American merchant and Federalist politician. He served in the New York State Assembly and the state Constitutional Convention and achieved the most political success of any Roosevelt before Theodore Roosevelt. He was the great-great-grandfather of U.S...
, Leonard Gansevoort
Leonard Gansevoort
Leonard Gansevoort was an American political leader from New York who served as a delegate to the Continental Congress in 1788....
and Joshua Sands. The state constitution said that the cast ballots shall be delivered to the Secretary of State
Secretary of State of New York
The Secretary of State of New York is a cabinet officer in the government of the U.S. state of New York.The current Secretary of State of New York is Cesar A...
"by the sheriff or his deputy". The ballots from Otsego County were forwarded to the secretary of state by Sheriff Smith who was holding over in office until the appointment of a successor after his term had expired. The ballot box from Clinton County was delivered to the secretary of state's office by a person without deputation who had received the box from the sheriff. The ballot box from Tioga County was delivered to the secretary of state by the clerk of the special deputy appointed by the sheriff.
The canvass committee disagreed on whether to allow these ballots to be counted or not. The question was referred to the United States Senators from New York, Federalist Rufus King
Rufus King
Rufus King was an American lawyer, politician, and diplomat. He was a delegate for Massachusetts to the Continental Congress. He also attended the Constitutional Convention and was one of the signers of the United States Constitution on September 17, 1787, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
and Democratic-Republican Aaron Burr
Aaron Burr
Aaron Burr, Jr. was an important political figure in the early history of the United States of America. After serving as a Continental Army officer in the Revolutionary War, Burr became a successful lawyer and politician...
, for arbitration. King said all votes ought to be canvassed, Burr said that the ballots from Clinton County ought to be allowed, the ones from Otsego and Tioga counties should be rejected. Thereupon, a majority of the canvass committee (Gelston, Tillotson, Smith, Graham, Van Cortlandt, McCarty, Havens) rejected the ballots from all three counties and declared George Clinton duly elected governor by a majority of 108 votes.
The minority (Jones, Roosevelt, Gansevoort, Sands) protested in writing. In Otsego County, John Jay had a majority of about 400, and discounting the small majorities for Clinton in Tioga and Clinton counties, would have won the election. Clinton was accused by the Federalists of usurpation and the canvass committee of having made a partisan decision against the wishes of the electorate.
| Governor candidate | Running Mate Running mate A running mate is a person running together with another person on a joint ticket during an election. The term is most often used in reference to the person in the subordinate position but can also properly be used when referring to both candidates, such as "Michael Dukakis and Lloyd Bentsen were... |
Party | Popular Vote | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| George Clinton George Clinton (vice president) George Clinton was an American soldier and politician, considered one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He was the first Governor of New York, and then the fourth Vice President of the United States , serving under Presidents Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. He and John C... |
Pierre Van Cortlandt Pierre Van Cortlandt Pierre Van Cortlandt was the first Lieutenant Governor of the State of New York.He was born in New York, the son of Philip Van Cortlandt and Catherine DePeyster... |
Democratic-Republican | 8,440 | 50.32% |
| John Jay John Jay John Jay was an American politician, statesman, revolutionary, diplomat, a Founding Father of the United States, and the first Chief Justice of the United States .... |
Stephen Van Rensselaer Stephen Van Rensselaer III Stephen Van Rensselaer III was Lieutenant Governor of New York as well as a statesman, soldier, and land-owner, the heir to one of the largest estates in the New York region at the time, which made him the tenth richest American of all time, based on the ratio of his fortune to contemporary GDP... |
Federalist | 8,332 | 49.68% |
See also
- New York gubernatorial elections
- New York state electionsNew York state electionsThis is a general overview of the New York state elections.The first state election was held in June 1777, and the Governor and Lieutenant Governor were the only statewide elected officials. Besides them, the Assemblymen were elected in the counties, and the State Senators in the senatorial...