William H. Merritt

Gubernatorial candidate
Born
September 12, 1820
Died
July 23, 1891
Age at death
70
Home state
Iowa
Party
Democratic
On the ballot
1861
0-1
RecordWin–Loss
Total Popular Votes
Merritt43,245
Opponents60,303
1
Elections run

William H. Merritt (1820–1891), a Democratic politician from Iowa, ran once for U.S. office, losing the 1861 governor election in Iowa to Samuel J. Kirkwood, receiving 43,245 votes (39.78%).

Browse every governor election in Iowa or all 1861 governor races.

How many votes has William H. Merritt received?

William H. Merritt has received 43,245 popular votes across 1 U.S. election, with a career record of 0–1.

Election history

William H. Merritt’s election history
YearOfficeResultVotesOpponent(s)
1861GovernorIowaLost43,24539.78%Samuel J. Kirkwood
Identity & sources. Identity verified against Wikidata (Q114903060). Election results come from official certified totals and the MIT Election Data and Science Lab; see methodology.
Cite this profile. PolitiFinder, “William H. Merritt: election history & vote totals.” https://politifinder.com/p/william-h-merritt. Accessed [date].

Compiled by PolitiFinder. Election results from official certified sources and the MIT Election Lab. See Data & sources and methodology. Data last verified July 28, 2026.