The 1862 Arkansas gubernatorial election was the ninth gubernatorial election, held on Monday, October 6, 1862. In the midst of the American Civil War, Colonel Harris Flanagin easily defeated incumbent Governor Henry M. Rector and Independent candidate John S. H. Rainey with 68.06% of the vote. Flanagin took office as the seventh governor on November 15, 1862.
It was the only gubernatorial election conducted following the adoption of Arkansas's second constitution. The Democratic Party did not field a candidate and endorsed Flanagin. A new state constitution had been adopted, cutting two years off Rector's term. Background Arkansas politics had been dominated by members of the powerful Conway-Johnson family (known as "The Family") since the territorial period. Henry Rector was a member of this family, and owed his ascent in politics to family connections, but The Family passed over him as a candidate in the 1860 Arkansas gubernatorial election. Rector then ran as an outsider candidate, with the support of the anti-Family faction. Rector's election coincided with the secession crisis, and Arkansas left the Union in May, 1861, joining the Confederate States of America shortly thereafter. However, Rector proved an incompetent and unpopular governor, and he failed to manage the military situation in Arkansas effectively. The Family then focused their efforts on supporting Harris Flanagin in an effort to unseat Rector.
Flanagin won by an overwhelming margin. Bitter at being defeated, Rector then resigned from office, leaving Thomas Fletcher to serve the remaining two weeks of his term. Results
Results by county +Results by countyCountyFlanaginRectorRaineyPattersonScatteringTotalVotes%Votes%Votes%Votes%Votes%Arkansas33380.63%8019.37%00.00%00.00%00.00%413Ashley45573.03%12520.06%436.90%00.00%00.00%623Benton23553.05%10223.02%00.00%00.00%10623.93%443Bradley25936.89%43862.39%50.71%00.00%00.00%702Calhoun17860.75%10435.49%113.75%00.00%00.00%293Carroll41483.30%8116.30%20.40%00.00%00.00%497Chicot13959.15%9239.15%41.70%00.00%00.00%235Clark73792.59%465.78%131.63%00.00%00.00%796Columbia29334.63%53663.36%172.01%00.00%00.00%846Conway27858.77%16935.73%265.50%00.00%00.00%473Craighead17757.10%5417.42%00.00%7925.48%00.00%310Crawford41378.37%6712.71%478.92%00.00%00.00%527CrittendenNo votesDallas44689.74%489.66%30.60%00.00%00.00%497Desha18764.48%10235.17%10.34%00.00%00.00%290Drew37752.43%32144.65%212.92%00.00%00.00%719Franklin31184.97%4813.11%71.91%00.00%00.00%366Fulton15361.45%9638.55%00.00%00.00%00.00%249GreeneNo votesHempstead54970.47%22328.63%70.90%00.00%00.00%779Hot Spring42488.70%5311.09%10.21%00.00%00.00%478Independence58984.14%11115.86%00.00%00.00%00.00%700Izard31678.22%8821.78%00.00%00.00%00.00%404Jackson60982.52%12717.21%20.27%00.00%00.00%738Jefferson42248.73%43149.77%121.39%00.00%10.12%866Johnson28153.32%24446.30%20.38%00.00%00.00%527Lafayette26356.32%17838.12%255.35%00.00%10.21%467Lawrence43676.22%12121.15%91.57%61.05%00.00%572Madison28983.77%5616.23%00.00%00.00%00.00%345Marion34472.73%12927.27%00.00%00.00%00.00%473MississippiNo votesMonroeNo votesMontgomery25694.12%145.15%20.74%00.00%00.00%272Newton14860.16%9839.84%00.00%00.00%00.00%246Ouachita28431.31%43447.85%18920.84%00.00%00.00%907Perry7764.71%3226.89%108.40%00.00%00.00%119PhillipsNo votesPike19568.90%6422.61%248.48%00.00%00.00%283Poinsett2711.34%20987.82%00.00%00.00%20.84%238Polk24173.70%8525.99%10.31%00.00%00.00%327Pope44783.55%6411.96%244.49%00.00%00.00%535Prairie89279.36%17515.57%575.07%00.00%00.00%1,124Pulaski58169.33%22927.33%273.22%00.00%10.12%838Randolph12229.61%12730.83%00.00%16339.56%00.00%412Saline42375.27%12321.89%162.85%00.00%00.00%562Scott37076.60%8517.60%285.80%00.00%00.00%483Searcy19168.21%8831.43%00.00%00.00%10.36%280Sebastian50070.32%19327.14%182.53%00.00%00.00%711Sevier36049.38%34747.60%223.02%00.00%00.00%729St. Francis17541.97%24258.03%00.00%00.00%00.00%417Union38759.91%22234.37%375.73%00.00%00.00%646Van Buren38986.25%6213.75%00.00%00.00%00.00%451Washington1,18997.38%272.21%50.41%00.00%00.00%1,221White67292.82%527.18%00.00%00.00%00.00%724Yell31661.60%17734.50%203.90%00.00%00.00%513Total18,14968.06%7,41927.82%7382.77%2480.93%1120.42%26,666
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