1848 Whig National Convention

1848 Whig National Convention
1848 presidential election
Nominees
Taylor and Fillmore
Convention
Date(s) June 7, 1848
City Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Candidates
Presidential nominee Zachary Taylor of Louisiana
Vice Presidential nominee Millard Fillmore of New York
Voting
Total delegates 280
Votes needed for nomination 140
Results (President) Taylor (LA): 171 (61.07%)
Scott (NY): 63 (22.5%)
Clay (KY): 32 (11.43%)
Webster (MA): 14 (5%)
Ballots 4

The 1848 Whig National Convention was a quadrennial presidential nominating convention of the Whig Party. The convention was held in Philadelphia. War hero Zachary Taylor, a major general from Louisiana with no political background, was nominated as the party's candidate for president. Former New York Representative Millard Fillmore was nominated for vice president. They won the 1848 presidential election, defeating the Democratic candidates Lewis Cass and William O. Butler.

The Convention

The convention was quick, convening for only a day on June 7. Taylor had been courted by both the Democrats and the Whigs. Taylor ultimately declared himself a Whig.

Presidential nomination

Several well-known political figures challenged Taylor for the nomination but failed to win enough votes at the convention. Henry Clay, Winfield Scott, and Daniel Webster all sought the nomination. When delegates met in Philadelphia, Taylor secured 171 votes and won the presidential nomination on the fourth ballot.

Convention Presidential vote
Name Zachary Taylor Henry Clay Winfield Scott Daniel Webster John Middleton Clayton John McLean Not Voting
Party Whig Whig Whig Whig Whig Whig Whig
1st ballot 111 97 43 22 4 2 11
2nd ballot 118 86 49 22 4 0 11
3rd ballot 133 74 54 17 1 0 11
4th ballot 171 (58.97%) 32 (11.03%) 63 (21.72%) 14 (4.83%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 10 (3.45%)
Margin 0 (0.00%) -139 (-47.94%) -108 (-37.25%) -157 (-54.14%) -171 (-58.97%) -171 (-58.97%)


Vice Presidential nomination

Vice Presidential candidates

Withdrawn

Declined


Webster was offered the vice presidential spot on the ticket, but declined. Former New York Representative Millard Fillmore was chosen as the vice presidential candidate on the second ballot.

Convention Vice Presidential vote
Ballots 1 2
Millard Fillmore 115 173
Abbott Lawrence 109 87
Not Voting 16 24
Andrew Stewart 14 0
Thomas M.T. McKennan 13 0
George Evans 6 2
John Sergeant 6 1
John M. Clayton 3 3
Hamilton Fish 2 0
Thomas Ewing, Sr. 1 0
Thomas B. King 1 0
John Young 1 0
Rufus Choate 1 0
Solomon Foot 1 0
George Lunt 1 0

See also

References

  • Holt, Michael F. (1999). The Rise and Fall of the American Whig Party: Jacksonian Politics and the Onset of the Civil War. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-505544-6.
  • <http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=58512> Accessed: June 11, 2016
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