1839 Tennessee gubernatorial election

← 1837 August 1, 1839 1841 →

Nominee James K. Polk Newton Cannon Party Democratic Whig Popular vote 54,062 51,387 Percentage 51.27% 48.73%

County results Polk:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90% Cannon:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      No data/No votes

Governor before election Newton Cannon Whig Elected Governor James K. Polk Democratic

Elections in Tennessee
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Government
v t e

The 1839 Tennessee gubernatorial election was held on August 1, 1839, to elect the Governor of Tennessee. Incumbent Whig Governor Newton Cannon lost re-election to a third term against Democratic nominee and former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives James K. Polk.^[1]

Democrats, determined to defeat governor Cannon, convinced rising politician and Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives James K. Polk to run against him. The two candidates toured the state together to give a series of public debates, the first of which took place at Murfreesboro on April 11, 1839. Cannon typically delivered slower, more methodical arguments and was outshone in the debates by the quicker and wittier Polk. In the election, Polk narrowly defeated Cannon.^[2]

On election day, 1 August 1839, Democratic nominee James K. Polk won the election by a margin of 2,675 votes against his Whig opponent and incumbent Governor Newton Cannon, thereby gaining Democratic control over the office of Governor. Polk was sworn in as the 9th Governor of Tennessee on 14 October 1839.^[3]