The 1863 New York state election was held on November 3, 1863, to elect 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...

, the State Comptroller

New York State Comptroller

The New York State Comptroller is a state cabinet officer of the U.S. state of New York. The duties of the comptroller include auditing government operations and operating the state's retirement system.-History:...

, the Attorney General, the State Treasurer

New York State Treasurer

The New York State Treasurer was a state cabinet officer in the State of New York between 1776 and 1926. During the re-organization of the state government under Governor Al Smith, the office was abolished and its responsibilities transferred to the new Department of Audit and Control headed by the...

, the State Engineer

New York State Engineer and Surveyor

The New York State Engineer and Surveyor was a state cabinet officer in the State of New York between 1848 and 1926. During the re-organization of the state government under Governor Al Smith, the office was abolished and its responsibilities transferred to the Department of Public Works which was...

, a Judge of the New York Court of Appeals

New York Court of Appeals

The New York Court of Appeals is the highest court in the U.S. state of New York. The Court of Appeals consists of seven judges: the Chief Judge and six associate judges who are appointed by the Governor to 14-year terms...

, a Canal Commissioner

Erie Canal Commission

The New York State Legislature appointed in 1810 a Commission to Explore a Route for a Canal to Lake Erie, and Report which became known as the Erie Canal Commission...

 and an Inspector of State Prisons

New York State Prison Inspector

The Inspector of State Prisons was a statewide elective office created by the New York State Constitution of 1846. At the New York state election, 1847, three Inspectors were elected and then, upon taking office, so classified that henceforth every year one Inspector would be elected to a...

, as well as all members of the New York State 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 New York State 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...

.

History

The Union state convention - Republicans and War Democrats

War Democrats

War Democrats in American politics of the 1860s were adherents of the Democratic Party who rejected the Copperheads/Peace Democrats who controlled the party...

 which supported the Union and Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...

's policy during the American Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

 - met on September 2 at Syracuse, New York

Syracuse, New York

Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...

. Ward Hunt

Ward Hunt

Ward Hunt , was an American jurist and politician. He was Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals from 1868 to 1869, and an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court from 1873 to 1882.-Life:...

 was Temporary Chairman until the choice of Abraham Wakeman as President. Peter A. Porter

Peter A. Porter (colonel)

Peter Augustus Porter was a Union Army colonel in the American Civil War. He died in the Battle of Cold Harbor.-Early life:...

 was nominated for Secretary of State on the first ballot (vote: Porter 213, Chauncey Depew 140, Theophilus C. Callicot

Theophilus C. Callicot

Theophilus Carey Callicot was an American lawyer, newspaper editor and politician.-Early life:He was born in Cornwall, England, and came with his parents to the United States as a child. The family settled at Fairfax, Virginia...

 15). Thomas W. Olcott for Comptroller, John Cochrane for Attorney General, George W. Schuyler for Treasurer, and Henry R. Selden [incumbent] for Judge of the Court of Appeals, were nominated by acclamation. Benjamin F. Bruce was nominated for Canal Commissioner on the first ballot (vote: Bruce 220, Stephen T. Hayt

Stephen T. Hayt

Stephen Thurston Hayt was an American politician from New York.-Life:...

 131). The incumbent William B. Taylor was re-nominated for State Engineer on the first ballot (vote: Taylor 234, J. Platt Goodsell 67, F. A. Utter 26, Charles W. Wentz 10). The incumbent James K. Bates was re-nominated for Prison Inspector by acclamation. When informed of his nomination, Colonel Porter, who was commanding his troops at Baltimore

Baltimore

Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...

, declined to run because he "wanted to serve his country in the field." Olcott also declined to run, and the State Committee substituted Depew and the incumbent Lucius Robinson on the Union ticket.

The Constitutional Union

Constitutional Union Party (United States)

The Constitutional Union Party was a political party in the United States created in 1860. It was made up of conservative former Whigs who wanted to avoid disunion over the slavery issue...

 state convention met on September 9 but did not nominate a ticket.

The Democratic state convention met on September 10 at Albany, New York

Albany, New York

Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...

.

Results

The whole Union ticket was elected.

The incumbents Robinson, Taylor, Selden and Bates were re-elected. The incumbents Lewis and Wright were defeated.

21 Unionists and 11 Democrats were elected to a two-year term (1864-65) in the New York State 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...

.

82 Unionists and 46 Democrats were elected for the session of 1864 to the New York State 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...

.

1863 state election results

Office	Union ticket		Democratic ticket
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...	Chauncey Depew Chauncey Depew Chauncey Mitchell Depew was an attorney for Cornelius Vanderbilt's railroad interests, president of the New York Central Railroad System, and a United States Senator from New York from 1899 to 1911.- Biography:...	314,347	Daniel B. St. John Daniel B. St. John Daniel Bennett St. John was a U.S. Representative from New York.Born in Sharon, Connecticut, St. John engaged in mercantile pursuits and the real estate business at Monticello, New York, in 1831....	284,942
Comptroller New York State Comptroller The New York State Comptroller is a state cabinet officer of the U.S. state of New York. The duties of the comptroller include auditing government operations and operating the state's retirement system.-History:...	Lucius Robinson Lucius Robinson Lucius Robinson was an American lawyer and politician. He was the 26th Governor of New York from 1877 to 1879.-Life:...	314,236	Sanford E. Church Sanford E. Church Sanford Elias Church was an American lawyer and Democratic politician...	284,849
Attorney General New York State Attorney General The New York State Attorney General is the chief legal officer of the State of New York. The office has been in existence in some form since 1626, under the Dutch colonial government of New York.The current Attorney General is Eric Schneiderman...	John Cochrane John Cochrane (general) John Cochrane was an American lawyer, Union Army general and politician.-Life:He was the grandson of John Cochran, Surgeon General of the Continental Army....	313,865	Marshall B. Champlain Marshall B. Champlain Marshall Bolds Champlain was an American lawyer and politician.-Life:He was admitted to the bar in 1843, and practised at Cuba, N.Y...	284,762
Treasurer New York State Treasurer The New York State Treasurer was a state cabinet officer in the State of New York between 1776 and 1926. During the re-organization of the state government under Governor Al Smith, the office was abolished and its responsibilities transferred to the new Department of Audit and Control headed by the...	George W. Schuyler George W. Schuyler George Washington Schuyler was an American businessman, author and politician.-Life:...	314,303	William B. Lewis William B. Lewis (NY treasurer) William B. Lewis was an American businessman and politician.-Life:He began to work as a brick hod carrier, then learned the builder's trade, and became a contractor....	284,618
State Engineer New York State Engineer and Surveyor The New York State Engineer and Surveyor was a state cabinet officer in the State of New York between 1848 and 1926. During the re-organization of the state government under Governor Al Smith, the office was abolished and its responsibilities transferred to the Department of Public Works which was...	William B. Taylor William B. Taylor (engineer) William Burdick Taylor was an American civil engineer and politician from New York.-Life:He was educated at Utica, New York, and studied engineering in his brother's office...	314,362	Van Rensselaer Richmond Van Rensselaer Richmond Van Rensselaer Richmond was an American civil engineer and politician from New York.-Life:...	284,738
Judge of the Court of Appeals New York Court of Appeals The New York Court of Appeals is the highest court in the U.S. state of New York. The Court of Appeals consists of seven judges: the Chief Judge and six associate judges who are appointed by the Governor to 14-year terms...	Henry R. Selden Henry R. Selden Henry Rogers Selden was an American lawyer and politician. He was Lieutenant Governor of New York from 1857 to 1858. He defended Susan B. Anthony in her 1873 trial for unlawfully voting as a woman.-Life:He was the son of Calvin Selden and Phebe Selden...	313,327	William F. Allen William F. Allen (New York) William Fitch Allen was an American lawyer and politician.-Life:...	283,532
Canal Commissioner Erie Canal Commission The New York State Legislature appointed in 1810 a Commission to Explore a Route for a Canal to Lake Erie, and Report which became known as the Erie Canal Commission...	Benjamin F. Bruce Benjamin F. Bruce Benjamin Franklin Bruce was an American politician from New York.-Life:...	313,840	William W. Wright William W. Wright William Westwood Wright was an American politician from New York.-Life:He married Mary L...	284,984
Inspector of State Prisons New York State Prison Inspector The Inspector of State Prisons was a statewide elective office created by the New York State Constitution of 1846. At the New York state election, 1847, three Inspectors were elected and then, upon taking office, so classified that henceforth every year one Inspector would be elected to a...	James K. Bates James K. Bates James K. Bates was an American physician and politician from New York.-Life:...	314,093	David B. McNeil David B. McNeil David B. McNeil was an American politician from New York.-Life:He was the son of Col. David Breakenridge McNeil David B. McNeil (1818 Essex County, New York - April 15, 1897 Auburn, Cayuga County, New York) was an American politician from New York.-Life:He was the son of Col. David Breakenridge...	284,980

Sources

• Result in The Tribune Almanac compiled by Horace Greeley
  Horace Greeley
  Horace Greeley was an American newspaper editor, a founder of the Liberal Republican Party, a reformer, a politician, and an outspoken opponent of slavery...
  
   of the New York Tribune
  New York Tribune
  The New York Tribune was an American newspaper, first established by Horace Greeley in 1841, which was long considered one of the leading newspapers in the United States...
  
  
• Result The State Election in NYT on December 5, 1863