1861 California gubernatorial election
Introduction


The **1861 California gubernatorial election** took place on September 4, 1861\. Incumbent Governor [John G. Downey](/wiki/John_G._Downey "John G. Downey") was not a candidate for renomination, as his Democratic Party had violently ruptured over the issue of slavery and secession. Downey was a [Lecompton](/wiki/Lecompton_Democrat "Lecompton Democrat") [Democrat](/wiki/Democratic_Party_%28United_States%29 "Democratic Party (United States)"), those who favored slavery in the Kansas Territory and who were running as now as the Breckenridge or "Chivalry" Democrats. These Chivalry Democrats supported [Attorney General](/wiki/California_Attorney_General "California Attorney General") [John McConnell](/wiki/John_R._McConnell "John R. McConnell"). Anti\-slavery or anti\-secession Democrats were the "Unionist" Democrats who favored [John Conness](/wiki/John_Conness "John Conness").

With the dire split in the Democratic Party, even more bitter than in 1859, former Republican nominee Leland Stanford won a plurality of the popular vote and became the first Republican Governor of California. Both Stanford and Conness later served in the [United States Senate](/wiki/United_States_Senate "United States Senate").


Who won a plurality of the popular vote in the 1861 California gubernatorial election?