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1851 California Gubernatorial Election

California · 2 candidates · See every 1851 Governor race

Who won the 1851 California Gubernatorial Election?

John Bigler won the 1851 California Gubernatorial Election. John Bigler received 23,175 popular votes (50.48%). The main challenger was Pierson B. Reading (49.52%).

See the full head-to-head between Bigler and Reading

Bigler +1.0 pts · won by 440 votes
John BiglerDemocraticWINNER50.48%
23,175 votes
Pierson B. ReadingWhig Party49.52%
22,735 votes
Popular-vote totals for governor elections are compiled from official state results (via Wikipedia); Louisiana shows the decisive round of its jungle primary.

Data last verified July 28, 2026.