1861 Rhode Island gubernatorial election

← 1860 3 April 1861 1862 →

Nominee William Sprague IV James Y. Smith Party National Union Republican Popular vote 11,844 10,200 Percentage 53.69% 46.23%

County results Sprague:      50–60% Smith:      50–60%

Governor before election William Sprague IV Union Elected Governor William Sprague IV Union

Elections in Rhode Island
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Ballot measures 2020 Question 1
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The 1861 Rhode Island gubernatorial election was held April 3, 1861 to elect the governor of Rhode Island. William Sprague IV, the incumbent governor, was reelected, defeating his Republican rival, Mayor James Y. Smith of Providence.^[1] Sprague was nominated by Rhode Island's Union Party, a coalition of Democrats, conservative Republicans, and ex-Whigs that had supported him in 1860.^[2][3]

On election day, 3 April 1861, incumbent governor William Sprague IV won re-election by a margin of 1,644 votes against his opponent Republican nominee James Y. Smith, thereby retaining Unionist control over the office of governor. Sprague was sworn in for his second term on 5 May 1861.^[4]