The 1853 Texas gubernatorial election was held on August 1, 1853, to elect the governor of Texas.
Incumbent Governor Peter Hansborough Bell did not run for a third term. The election was won by Elisha M. Pease, who received 36% of the vote. This is the lowest percentage of the popular vote a Texas governor has received and still won an election.
General election
Candidates
Thomas J. Chambers, unsuccessful candidate for governor in 1851, former chief justice of Texas, land speculator and real estate developer (Democratic) John W. S. Dancy, state representative, former member of the Congress of the Republic of Texas (Democratic) Lemuel D. Evans, lawyer, former district judge of Harrison County, veteran of the Mexican-American War, delegate to the 1845 annexation convention (Democratic) William Beck Ochiltree, Nacogdoches judge, former Secretary of the Treasury of the Republic of Texas, delegate to the 1845 annexation convention (Whig) Elisha M. Pease, unsuccessful candidate for governor in 1851, former state senator, former Comptroller of Public Accounts of the Republic of Texas (Democratic) George Tyler Wood, former Governor of Texas, plantation owner, veteran of the Mexican-American War (Independent Democratic)
Results
References