The 1873 New York state election was held on November 4, 1873, 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 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...

 and 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...

, 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 judges 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...

, the New York Supreme Court

New York Supreme Court

The Supreme Court of the State of New York is the trial-level court of general jurisdiction in thestate court system of New York, United States. There is a supreme court in each of New York State's 62 counties, although some smaller counties share judges with neighboring counties...

, and the county and city courts, shall be elected or appointed; the electorate decided to maintain the elective system.

History

The Republican state convention met on September 24 at the Opera House in Utica, New York

Utica, New York

Utica is a city in and the county seat of Oneida County, New York, United States. The population was 62,235 at the 2010 census, an increase of 2.6% from the 2000 census....

. David J. Mitchell was Temporary Chairman until the choice of Stewart L. Woodford

Stewart L. Woodford

Stewart Lyndon Woodford was an American politician.-Life:He studied at Yale University and Columbia College . At the latter he graduated in 1854 and was a member of St. Anthony Hall...

 as President. Francis S. Thayer was nominated for Secretary of State by acclamation. The invumbent Comptroller Nelson K. Hopkins was re-nominated by acclamation. Daniel G. Fort was nominated for Treasurer after a "rising vote, when the whole convention, except a score

20 (number)

20 is the natural number following 19 and preceding 21. A group of twenty units may also be referred to as a score.-In mathematics:*20 is the basis for vigesimal number systems....

, stood up in favor of Mr. Fort." Benjamin D. Silliman was nominated for Attorney General on the first ballot (vote: Silliman 262, B. Platt Carpenter

B. Platt Carpenter

Benjamin Platt Carpenter was an American lawyer and politician from New York and Montana.-Life:...

 162). The incumbent State Engineer William B. Taylor was re-nominated. Sidney Mead was nominated for Canal Commissioner on the first ballot (vote: Mead 185, Charles K. Monell 118, John Napier 41, Hiram P. Wilbur 33). Moss K. Platt was nominated for Prison Inspector on the first ballot with 238 votes.

The Democratic state convention met on October 2 at Utica, New York

Utica, New York

Utica is a city in and the county seat of Oneida County, New York, United States. The population was 62,235 at the 2010 census, an increase of 2.6% from the 2000 census....

. Diedrich Willers, Jr., for Secretary of State, and Asher P. Nichols for Comptroller, were nominated by acclamation. Daniel Pratt was nominated for Attorney General on the first ballot (vote: Pratt 82, James B. Olney 26, Rufus W. Peckham, Jr.

Rufus Wheeler Peckham

Rufus Wheeler Peckham was an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1895 until 1909. He was known for his strong use of substantive due process to invalidate regulations of business and property. Peckham's namesake father was also a lawyer and judge, and a congressman...

 13). The incumbent Treasurer Thomas Raines was re-nominated by acclamation. Sylvanus H. Sweet was nominated for State Engineer after several ballots. James Jackson, Jr. was nominated for Canal Commissioner, and George W. Millspaugh for Prison Inspector.

Results

Five Democrats and two Republicans were elected to state offices.

The incumbents Hopkins and Raines were re-elected. The incumbent Taylor was defeated.

1873 state election results

Office	Democratic ticket		Republican 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...	Diedrich Willers, Jr. Diedrich Willers, Jr. Diedrich Willers, Jr. was a Democratic politician from Varick, New York who served as Secretary of State of New York...		Francis S. Thayer
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:...	Asher P. Nichols Asher P. Nichols Asher P. Nichols was an American lawyer and politician.-Life:...		Nelson K. Hopkins Nelson K. Hopkins Nelson Kerr Hopkins was an American lawyer and politician.-Life:He was the son of General Timothy Soveral Hopkins and Nancy Ann Hopkins . Hopkins attended Fredonia Academy and Genesee Wesleyan Seminary in preparation for college...
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...	Daniel Pratt Daniel Pratt (New York) Daniel Pratt was an American lawyer and politician.-Life:...		Benjamin D. Silliman
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...	Thomas Raines Thomas Raines Thomas Raines was an American lawyer and politician.-Life:He was the son of John Raines ....		Daniel G. Fort
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...	Sylvanus H. Sweet Sylvanus H. Sweet Sylvanus Howe Sweet was an American civil engineer and politician from New York. He was New York State Engineer and Surveyor from 1874 to 1875.-Life:...		William B. Taylor William B. Taylor (engineer) William Burdick Taylor was an American civil engineer and politician from New York.-Life:He was educated at Utica, New York, and studied engineering in his brother's office...
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...	James Jackson, Jr. James Jackson, Jr. (New York) James Jackson, Jr. was an American businessman and politician from New York.-Life:He was a member from Niagara County of the New York State Assembly in 1864....		Sidney Mead
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...	George W. Millspaugh		Moss K. Platt Moss K. Platt Moss Kent Platt was an American merchant and politician from New York.-Life:He was the son of William Pitt Platt and Hannah Kent ....

Sources

• The Republican ticket, and the questions asked: THE ELECTION in THIS CITY in NYT on November 4, 1873