The 1834 New York gubernatorial election was held from November 3 to 5, 1834 to elect the Governor and Lieutenant Governor of New York. This was the first fall election in which the Whig Party participated.

Whig nomination

Candidates

Results

Seward fought hard for the nomination; those considered included Amos P. Granger, Daniel C. Verplanck, and others. Eventually Seward, then 33 years old, emerged as the consensus choice.

General election

Candidates

Incumbent Governor William L. Marcy was re-nominated by the Democratic Party to run against the nominee of the Whig Party, future governor William H. Seward. The Democratic Party nominated the incumbent John Tracy for Lieutenant Governor. The Whig Party nominated state assemblyman Silas M. Stilwell for Lieutenant Governor.

Campaign

During the campaign, the Democratic press charged that Seward was too young to serve; the Whig press countered by giving examples of famous people, including DeWitt Clinton, Napoleon, and Henry Clay who had served at young ages. Both sides utilized "slogans and songs," turning the race into a "lively affair."

Results

The Democratic ticket of Marcy and Tracy was elected.

Sources