The 1853 Texas lieutenant gubernatorial election was held on August 1, 1853, in order to elect the lieutenant governor of Texas. Speaker of the Texas House David C. Dickson won a contested race becoming the fourth lieutenant governor of the state.
General election The incumbent lieutenant governor, James Wilson Henderson, did not run for reelection. There had not been a strong partisan during the Republic period of Texas, but since the 1848 presidential election the Democratic Party had become the most prominent political organization in the state. The Whig Party also had a presence in the state, but its support was not widespread. However, neither of these parties were particularly organized and even if candidates did identify with a political party, they often ran independent campaigns. The Democratic Party leadership attempted to organize a convention to nominate candidates for governor and lieutenant governor, but not enough delegates were able to attend.
Democratic Speaker of the Texas House David C. Dickson won with almost 44% of the vote against his foremost opponents Democratic state senator Jerome B. Robertson and Whig candidate Jared Kirby. The results were certified by the legislature on November 12, 1853, and Dickson was sworn into office on December 21.
Candidates David Catchings Dickson, Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives, former justice of the peace, former surgeon in the Army of the Republic of Texas Richard A. Goode William C. Henry, of Cherokee County Jared E. Kirby, plantation owner Jerome Bonaparte Robertson, doctor, state senator, militia leader, former state representative, former mayor of Washington-on-the-Brazos
Results
Aftermath Governor Peter H. Bell, who had been reelected in the 1851 gubernatorial election, resigned from the office in order to fill a vacancy in congress. This led to James Henderson becoming Governor for the final 28 days of Bell's term.
References