Governor Representative Ballot: Democratic, Republican, and Farmers' Prox.

1839 Democratic Republican and Farmers’ Prox – 1839 marks the year in which no governor or lieutenant governor was elected. The Whig party again nominated Gov. William Sprague and Lt. Governor Joseph Child while the Democratic candidates were Nathaniel Bullock and Benjamin Thurston. Tristam Burges’ name was also entered into the race by dissatisfied Whigs under the Liberal Prox. With Burges, a former US Representative, in the race no candidate received a majority; Sprague the leading vote getter fell short by only 179 votes. Lt. Governor Child also failed to receive a majority thus leaving the state without an executive head and resulting in Samuel Ward King, as first senator, performing executive duties as acting governor until the next election in 1840. 19.7 cm X 15.9 cm