1785 Massachusetts gubernatorial election

1785 Massachusetts gubernatorial election

4 April 1785

Nominee James Bowdoin Thomas Cushing Benjamin Lincoln Party Nonpartisan Nonpartisan Nonpartisan Popular vote 3,510 3,005 1,152 Percentage 44.07% 37.73% 14.46%

Governor before election Thomas Cushing (Acting) Nonpartisan Elected Governor James Bowdoin Nonpartisan

The 1785 Massachusetts gubernatorial election was held on 4 April 1785 in order to elect the Governor of Massachusetts. Candidate James Bowdoin won a plurality of the vote against incumbent Acting Governor Thomas Cushing, candidate and former United States Secretary of War Benjamin Lincoln and candidate Oliver Prescott. However, as no candidate received a majority of all votes cast, the Massachusetts General Court elected Bowdoin Governor.

General election

On election day, 4 April 1785, Candidate James Bowdoin won the election by a margin of 505 votes against his foremost opponent incumbent Acting Governor Thomas Cushing, however as no candidate received a majority of the vote, the Massachusetts General Court elected Bowdoin Governor. Bowdoin was sworn in as the 2nd Governor of Massachusetts on 26 May 1785.

Results

Massachusetts gubernatorial election, 1785

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Nonpartisan	James Bowdoin	3,510	44.07%
	Nonpartisan	Thomas Cushing (incumbent)	3,005	37.73%
	Nonpartisan	Benjamin Lincoln	1,152	14.46%
	Nonpartisan	Oliver Prescott	298	3.74%
Total votes			7,965	100.00%
	Nonpartisan hold