The 1859 New York state election was held on November 8, 1859, 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...

, 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...

 and the Clerk of the Court of Appeals

Clerk of the New York Court of Appeals

The Clerk of the New York Court of Appeals was one of the statewide elected officials in New York from 1847 to 1870. He was also ex officio a clerk of the New York Supreme Court. The office was created by the New York State Constitution of 1846...

, 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...

. Besides, the voters were asked if the State could take a loan of US$ 2,500,000, which was answered in the affirmative with 125,370 for and 77,466 against.

History

This was the last campaign of the American Party. They did not nominate an own ticket, but endorsed five Republican and four Democratic nominees.

Results

Almost the whole cross-endorsed American ticket was elected. The approximate strength of The Republican Party (251,000 votes) was about the same as the combined strength of the Democratic Party (227,000 votes) and the American Party (24,000 votes). The five Republicans endorsed by the American Party had an easy victory, three of the four Democrats endorsed by the American Party struggled to win in a very tight race, only Elderkin missed the mark by 590 votes out of more than half a million cast.

The incumbents Church, Tremain, Vanderpoel and Johnson were defeated. The incumbent Richmond was re-elected.

23 Republicans and nine Democrats were elected to a two-year term (1860-61) 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...

.

91 Republicans and 37 Democrats were elected for the session of 1860 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...

.

1859 state election results

Office	Republican ticket		Democratic ticket		American Know Nothing The Know Nothing was a movement by the nativist American political faction of the 1840s and 1850s. It was empowered by popular fears that the country was being overwhelmed by German and Irish Catholic immigrants, who were often regarded as hostile to Anglo-Saxon Protestant values and controlled by...  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...	Elias W. Leavenworth	251,139	David R. Floyd-Jones David R. Floyd-Jones David Richard Floyd-Jones was an American lawyer and politician.-Life:A descendant of an old Long Island family, he was born at the family mansion on the Fort Neck estate in South Oyster Bay, New York as the son of Brigadier General Thomas Floyd-Jones and Cornelia Haring Jones Floyd-Jones David...	252,589	David R. Floyd-Jones David R. Floyd-Jones David Richard Floyd-Jones was an American lawyer and politician.-Life:A descendant of an old Long Island family, he was born at the family mansion on the Fort Neck estate in South Oyster Bay, New York as the son of Brigadier General Thomas Floyd-Jones and Cornelia Haring Jones Floyd-Jones David...
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:...	Robert Denniston Robert Denniston Robert Denniston was an American lawyer and politician.-Life:...	275,952	Sanford E. Church Sanford E. Church Sanford Elias Church was an American lawyer and Democratic politician...	227,304	Robert Denniston Robert Denniston Robert Denniston was an American lawyer and politician.-Life:...
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...	Charles G. Myers Charles G. Myers Charles G. Myers was an American lawyer and politician.-Life:He was educated at the St. Lawrence Academy in Potsdam, New York. In 1825, he began to study law in the office of Governeur Ogden at Waddington, NY, was admitted to the bar in 1832, and commenced practice in Ogdensburg, New York.He was...	276,792	Lyman Tremain Lyman Tremain Lyman Tremain was a jurist and politician from New York.He was admitted to the bar in 1840 and practiced in Durham, where he was elected to his first political office as town supervisor in 1842. He was appointed District Attorney of Greene County in 1844...	227,345	Charles G. Myers Charles G. Myers Charles G. Myers was an American lawyer and politician.-Life:He was educated at the St. Lawrence Academy in Potsdam, New York. In 1825, he began to study law in the office of Governeur Ogden at Waddington, NY, was admitted to the bar in 1832, and commenced practice in Ogdensburg, New York.He was...
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...	Philip Dorsheimer Philip Dorsheimer Philip Dorsheimer -Life:...	275,587	Isaac V. Vanderpoel Isaac V. Vanderpoel Isaac V. Vanderpoel was an American lawyer and politician.-Life:...	226,755	Philip Dorsheimer Philip Dorsheimer Philip Dorsheimer -Life:...
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...	Orville W. Storey	250,880 (246,041)	Van Rensselaer Richmond Van Rensselaer Richmond Van Rensselaer Richmond was an American civil engineer and politician from New York.-Life:...	252,312 (250,247)	Van Rensselaer Richmond Van Rensselaer Richmond Van Rensselaer Richmond was an American civil engineer and politician from New York.-Life:...
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 E. Davies Henry E. Davies (judge) Henry Ebenezer Davies was an American lawyer and politician from New York. He was Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals from 1866 to 1867....	272,275 (265,568)	Alexander S. Johnson Alexander S. Johnson Alexander Smith Johnson was an American lawyer and politician from New York...	227,171 (223,525)	Henry E. Davies Henry E. Davies (judge) Henry Ebenezer Davies was an American lawyer and politician from New York. He was Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals from 1866 to 1867....
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...	Ogden N. Chapin	251,449 (245,976)	William I. Skinner William I. Skinner William I. Skinner was an American politician from New York.-Life:He was the son of Josiah Skinner. He lived at Little Falls...	251,777	William I. Skinner William I. Skinner William I. Skinner was an American politician from New York.-Life:He was the son of Josiah Skinner. He lived at Little Falls...
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...	David P. Forrest David P. Forrest -Life:He was Clerk of Schenectady County from 1850 to 1852. He was Mayor of Schenectady in 1859.He was an Inspector of State Prisons from 1860 to 1862, elected in 1859 on the Republican ticket; and from 1865 to 1867, elected in 1864 on the Union ticket...	251,784 (243,430)	Noble S. Elderkin Noble S. Elderkin Noble Strong Elderkin was an American politician from New York. He was Speaker of the New York State Assembly in 1850.-Life:...	251,194 (237,579)	Noble S. Elderkin Noble S. Elderkin Noble Strong Elderkin was an American politician from New York. He was Speaker of the New York State Assembly in 1850.-Life:...
Clerk of the Court of Appeals Clerk of the New York Court of Appeals The Clerk of the New York Court of Appeals was one of the statewide elected officials in New York from 1847 to 1870. He was also ex officio a clerk of the New York Supreme Court. The office was created by the New York State Constitution of 1846...	Charles Hughes Charles Hughes (representative) Charles Hughes was an American lawyer and politician from New York.-Life:He studied law, was admitted to the bar, and commenced practice in Sandy Hill, NY....	275,286	John L. Lewis, Jr.	227,555 (221,084)	Charles Hughes Charles Hughes (representative) Charles Hughes was an American lawyer and politician from New York.-Life:He studied law, was admitted to the bar, and commenced practice in Sandy Hill, NY....

Sources

• Result in The Tribune Almanac for the years 1838 to 1868 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...