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1856 Illinois Gubernatorial Election

Illinois · 3 candidates · See every 1856 Governor race

Who won the 1856 Illinois Gubernatorial Election?

William Henry Bissell won the 1856 Illinois Gubernatorial Election. William Henry Bissell received 111,466 popular votes (46.97%). The main challenger was William Alexander Richardson (44.99%).

See the full head-to-head between Bissell and Richardson

Bissell +2.0 pts · won by 4,697 votes
William Henry BissellRepublicanWINNER46.97%
111,466 votes
William Alexander RichardsonDemocratic44.99%
106,769 votes
Buckner Stith MorrisKnow Nothing8.04%
19,088 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.