1861 California Gubernatorial Election

California · 3 candidates · See every 1861 Governor race

Who won the 1861 California Gubernatorial Election?

Leland Stanford won the 1861 California Gubernatorial Election. Leland Stanford received 56,036 popular votes (46.41%). The main challenger was John R. McConnell (27.96%).

See the full head-to-head between Stanford and McConnell

Stanford +18.4 pts · won by 22,285 votes

Leland Stanford RepublicanWINNER46.41%

56,036 votes

John R. McConnell Democratic27.96%

33,751 votes

John Conness Democratic25.63%

30,944 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.