Balloting
As Democrats convened in Baltimore in June 1852, four major candidates vied for the nomination – Lewis Cass of Michigan, the nominee in 1848, who had the backing of northerners in support of the Compromise of 1850; James Buchanan of Pennsylvania, popular in the South as well as in his home state; Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois, candidate of the expansionists and the railroad interests; and William L. Marcy of New York, whose strength was centered in his home state. Throughout the balloting, numerous favorite son candidates received a few votes.
With a two-thirds majority required to win, Cass led on the first 19 ballots, with Buchanan second and Douglas and Marcy exchanging third and fourth places. Buchanan took the lead on the 20th ballot and retained it on each of the next nine tallies. Douglas managed a narrow lead on the 30th and 31st ballots. Cass then recaptured first place through the 44th ballot. Marcy carried the next four ballots.
Franklin Pierce of New Hampshire, a former Congressman and Senator, did not get on the board until the 35th ballot, when the Virginia delegation brought him forward as a compromise choice, selecting Pierce as their dark horse by one vote over former New York Congressman and Brooklyn Mayor Henry C. Murphy, and then supporting him as a unit.[4] After being nominated by the Virginia delegation, Pierce's support remained steady until the 46th ballot, when it began to increase at Cass's expense. Pierce's support was consolidated in subsequent voting, and he was nominated nearly unanimously on the 49th ballot.[5]
According to Edward Stanwood, there was "no doubt that the nomination of General Pierce was carefully planned before the convention met. The originator of the scheme was James W. Bradbury, then a senator from Maine, a college mate and lifelong friend of Pierce."[6]
More information Presidential Ballot, 1st ...
Presidential Ballot |
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th | 11th | 12th | 13th | 14th | 15th | 16th | 17th | 18th | 19th | 20th | 21st | 22nd | 23rd | 24th | 25th |
Cass |
116 |
118 |
119 |
115 |
114 |
114 |
113 |
113 |
112 |
111 |
101 |
98 |
98 |
99 |
99 |
99 |
99 |
96 |
89 |
81 |
60 |
43 |
37 |
33 |
34 |
Buchanan |
93 |
95 |
94 |
89 |
89 |
88 |
88 |
88 |
87 |
86 |
87 |
88 |
88 |
87 |
87 |
87 |
87 |
85 |
85 |
92 |
102 |
104 |
103 |
103 |
101 |
Marcy |
27 |
27 |
26 |
25 |
26 |
26 |
26 |
26 |
27 |
27 |
27 |
27 |
26 |
26 |
26 |
26 |
26 |
25 |
26 |
26 |
26 |
26 |
26 |
26 |
26 |
Douglas |
20 |
23 |
21 |
31 |
33 |
34 |
34 |
34 |
39 |
40 |
50 |
51 |
51 |
51 |
51 |
51 |
51 |
56 |
63 |
64 |
64 |
77 |
78 |
80 |
79 |
Butler |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
13 |
15 |
20 |
23 |
24 |
Dickinson |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
Lane |
13 |
13 |
13 |
13 |
13 |
13 |
13 |
13 |
13 |
14 |
13 |
13 |
13 |
13 |
13 |
13 |
13 |
13 |
13 |
13 |
13 |
13 |
13 |
13 |
13 |
Houston |
8 |
6 |
7 |
7 |
8 |
8 |
9 |
9 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
10 |
10 |
10 |
9 |
11 |
9 |
10 |
9 |
9 |
10 |
9 |
10 |
Weller |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Dodge |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
0 |
3 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Blank |
9 |
9 |
12 |
12 |
8 |
11 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
9 |
8 |
9 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
Close
More information Presidential Ballot, 26th ...
Presidential Ballot |
| 26th | 27th | 28th | 29th | 30th | 31st | 32nd | 33rd | 34th | 35th | 36th | 37th | 38th | 39th | 40th | 41st | 42nd | 43rd | 44th | 45th | 46th | 47th | 48th | 49th |
Pierce |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
15 |
30 |
29 |
29 |
29 |
29 |
29 |
29 |
29 |
29 |
29 |
44 |
49 |
55 |
282 |
Cass |
33 |
32 |
28 |
27 |
33 |
65 |
98 |
123 |
130 |
131 |
122 |
120 |
107 |
106 |
107 |
107 |
101 |
101 |
101 |
96 |
78 |
75 |
72 |
2 |
Buchanan |
101 |
98 |
96 |
93 |
91 |
78 |
74 |
72 |
49 |
39 |
28 |
28 |
28 |
28 |
27 |
27 |
27 |
27 |
27 |
27 |
28 |
28 |
28 |
0 |
Marcy |
26 |
26 |
26 |
26 |
26 |
26 |
26 |
25 |
33 |
44 |
58 |
70 |
84 |
85 |
85 |
85 |
91 |
91 |
91 |
97 |
98 |
95 |
89 |
0 |
Douglas |
80 |
85 |
88 |
91 |
92 |
92 |
80 |
60 |
53 |
52 |
43 |
34 |
33 |
33 |
33 |
33 |
33 |
33 |
33 |
32 |
32 |
33 |
33 |
2 |
Butler |
24 |
24 |
25 |
25 |
20 |
17 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
Dickinson |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
16 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
Lane |
13 |
13 |
13 |
13 |
13 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Houston |
10 |
9 |
11 |
12 |
12 |
9 |
8 |
6 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
6 |
1 |
Boyd |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
King |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Ingersoll |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
Blank |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
9 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
Close
Source:
1st Day of Presidential Balloting / 3rd Day of Convention (June 3, 1852)
1st Ballot
2nd Ballot
3rd Ballot
4th Ballot
5th Ballot
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17th Ballot
2nd Day of Presidential Balloting / 4th Day of Convention (June 4, 1852)
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19th Ballot
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21st Ballot
22nd Ballot
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25th Ballot
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28th Ballot
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30th Ballot
31st Ballot
32nd Ballot
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3rd Day of Presidential Balloting / 5th Day of Convention (June 5, 1852)
34th Ballot
35th Ballot
36th Ballot
37th Ballot
38th Ballot
39th Ballot
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41st Ballot
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44th Ballot
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