# 1792 New York gubernatorial election

Elections in New York State :
Federal government
Presidential elections
1792
1796
1800
1804
1808
1812
1816
1820
1824
1828
1832
1836
1840
1844
1848
1852
1856
1860
1864
1868
1872
1876
1880
1884
1888
1892
1896
1900
1904
1908
1912
1916
1920
1924
1928
1932
1936
1940
1944
1948
1952
1956
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996
2000
Dem
2004
Dem
2008
Dem
GOP
2012
2016
Dem
GOP
2020
Dem
2024
Dem
GOP
U.S. Senate
1789
1791
1795
1796 sp
1797
Jan 1798 sp
Aug 1798 sp
Apr 1800 sp
Nov 1800 sp
1801
1802 sp
1803
Feb 1804 sp
Nov 1804 sp
1807
1809
1813
1815
1819–20
1821
1825–26
1827
1829 sp
1831
1833
1833 sp
1837
1839–40
1843
1845 sp
1849
1851
1855
1857
1861
1863
1867
1869
1873
1875
1879
1881
1881 sp
1885
1887
1891
1893
1897
1899
1903
1905
1909
1911
1914
1916
1920
1922
1926
1928
1932
1934
1938
1938 sp
1940
1944
1946
1949 sp
1950
1952
1956
1958
1962
1964
1968
1970
1974
1976
1980
1982
1986
1988
1992
1994
1998
2000
2004
2006
2010
2010 sp
2012
2016
2018
2022
2024
U.S. House
1789
1790
1791
1st sp
1793
1794
1796
1798
1799
1st sp
1800
1801
5th sp
1801
6th sp
1802
1803
6th sp
1803
7th sp
1804
1st sp
2nd and 3rd sp
1805
2nd and 3rd sp
1806
1808
12th sp
1810
2nd sp
1812
6th sp
1813
15th sp
1813
2nd sp
1814
1815
6th sp
1815
12th sp
1816
20th sp
21st sp
1817
4th sp
1818
1821
6th sp
1821
9th sp
1822
1823
28th sp
1824
1826
1827
29th sp
1828
5th sp
1830
6th sp
20th sp
1832
1834
1836
17th sp
30th sp
1838
1840
1841
26th May sp
26th Nov sp
1842
1844
1846
12th sp
1848
1850
1852
1854
12th sp
1856
1858
1859
4th sp
1860
31st sp
1862
1863
14th sp
1864
1866
1868
1870
1872
1874
1876
1878
1879
12th sp
1880
32nd sp
1881
9th sp
11th sp
22nd sp
1881
27th sp
1882
1884
1885
8th sp
1886
15th sp
1888
1889
6th sp
9th sp
27th sp
1890
1891
2nd sp
10th sp
1891
12th sp
22nd sp
1892
1894
14th sp
15th sp
1895
10th sp
1896
1897
3rd sp
1898
1899
34th sp
1900
1902
26th sp
1904
12th sp
1906
8th sp
1908
3rd sp
1910
1912
26th sp
1913
13th sp
20th sp
1914
1915
31st sp
1916
1917
15th sp
1918
7th sp
8th sp
21st sp
22nd sp
1920
14th sp
26th sp
1922
1923
11th sp
16th sp
19th sp
24th sp
32nd sp
1924
1926
1927
35th sp
1928
32nd sp
1929
21st sp
1930
18th sp
1931
7th sp
9th sp
1932
1933
34th sp
1934
1935
2nd sp
22nd sp
1936
1937
27th sp
17th sp
25th sp
1938
1939
34th sp
1940
14th sp
22nd sp
31st sp
1941
14th sp
17th sp
1942
1944
4th sp
11th sp
21st sp
1946
19th sp
1947
14th sp
1948
24th sp
1949
7th sp
10th sp
20th sp
1950
1952
5th sp
32nd sp
1954
1956
22nd sp
1958
1959
43rd sp
1960
23rd sp
1962
6th sp
1964
1966
17th sp
1968
13th sp
1970
1972
1974
1976
1978
18th sp
21st sp
1980
1982
1983
7th sp
1984
1986
6th sp
1988
1990
14th sp
18th sp
1992
17th sp
1994
1996
1997
13th sp
1998
6th sp
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2009
20th sp
23rd sp
2010
29th sp
2011
9th sp
26th sp
2012
2014
2015
11th sp
2016
2018
14th
25th sp
2020
22nd
27th sp
2022
19th sp
23rd sp
2024
3rd sp
26th sp
2025
21st sp :
State government
New York gubernatorial elections
1777
1780
1783
1786
1789
1792
1795
1798
1801
1804
1807
1810
1813
1816
1817
1820
1822
1824
1826
1828
1830
1832
1834
1836
1838
1840
1842
1844
1846
1848
1850
1852
1854
1856
1858
1860
1862
1864
1866
1868
1870
1872
1874
1876
1879
1882
1885
1888
1891
1894
1896
1898
1900
1902
1904
1906
1908
1910
1912
1914
1916
1918
1920
1922
1924
1926
1928
1930
1932
1934
1936
1938
1942
1946
1950
1954
1958
1962
1966
1970
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022
Attorney General elections
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022
State Comptroller elections
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022
State Senate elections
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
State Assembly elections
99th district, 2006
2008
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
State elections by year
1811-LtGSE
1844
1846
1847-JSE
1847
1848
1849
1850
1851
1852
1853
1854
1855
1856
1857
1858
1859
1860
1861
1862
1863
1864
1865
1866
1867
1868
1869
1870
1870–JSE
1871
1872
1873
1874
1875
1876
1877
1878
1879
1880
1881
1882
1883
1884
1885
1886
1887
1888
1889
1890
1891
1892
1893
1894
1895
1896
1897
1898
1900
1902
1903
1904
1906
1907
1908
1910
1912
1913
1914
1916
1917
1918
1919
1920
1921
1922
1923
1924
1926
1927
1928
1930
1932
1933
1934
1936
1937
1938
1939
1940
1942
1943
1944
1946
1949
1950
1952
1953
1954
1956
1958
1959
1960
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1972
1973
1974
2002
2006
2008
2009
2010
2012
2016
2018
2020
2021
2022
2024 :
New York City
Mayoral elections
Pre-consolidation:
1850
1854
1856
1857
1886
1888
1890
1892
1894
Post-consolidation:
1897
1901
1903
1905
1909
1913
1917
1921
1925
1929
1932
1933
1937
1941
1945
1950
1953
1957
1961
1965
1969
1973
1977
1981
1985
1989
1993
1997
2001
2005
2009
2013
2017
2021
2025
City Council elections
Pre-consolidation:
1808
Post-consolidation:
1897
1899
1901
1903
1905
1907
1909
1911
1913
1915
1917
1919
1921
1923
1925
1927
1929
1931
1933
1935
1937
1939
1941
1943
1945
1949
1953
1957
1961
1965
1969
1973
1977
1981
1985
1989
1993
1997
2001
2005
2009
2013
2017
2021
2023
2025
Public Advocate elections
1897
1901
1905
1909
1913
1917
1921
1925
1929
1933
1937
1941
1945
1949
1953
1957
1961
1965
1969
1973
1977
1981
1985
1989
1993
1997
2001
2005
2009
2013
2017
2019 (special)
2019
2021
2025
Comptroller elections
1897
1901
1905
1909
1913
1917
1921
1925
1929
1933
1937
1941
1945
1949
1953
1957
1961
1965
1969
1973
1977
1981
1985
1989
1993
1997
2001
2005
2009
2013
2017
2021
2025
Borough president elections
1897
1901
1905
1909
1913
1917
1921
1925
1929
1933
1937
1941
1945
1949
1953
1957
1961
1965
1969
1973
1977
1981
1985
1989
1993
1997
2001
2005
2009
2013
2017
2021
2025
The Bronx
Brooklyn
Manhattan
Queens
Staten Island :
Albany
Mayoral elections
2005
2009
2013
2017
2021 :
Buffalo
Mayoral elections
1881
1977
1981
1985
1989
1993
1997
2001
2005
2009
2013
2017
2021
2025 :
Rochester
Mayoral elections
1997
2001
2005
2009
2011 sp
2013
2017
2021 :
Syracuse
Mayoral elections
2009
2013
2017
2021
2025 :
vte :
The 1792 New York gubernatorial election was held in April 1792 to elect the Governor and Lieutenant Governor of New York. Incumbent governor George Clinton was narrowly re-elected to a sixth term in office over John Jay, after the votes of Clinton, Ostego, and Tioga counties were disqualified on technicalities.

## Background

From the establishment of an independent government of New York in 1777, George Clinton had continuously served in the office of Governor; he had no opponent in 1780 or 1786. During the Clinton administration, New York politics had been divided into two factions, reflecting growing divisions at the national level: a Federalist faction led by Alexander Hamilton and John Jay and a Republican faction led by Governor Clinton.
In January 1791, Aaron Burr, a moderate Republican, was elected to the United States Senate over Federalist incumbent Philip Schuyler. Burr's victory was a sign of growing opposition to the Hamilton faction; Schuyler was Hamilton's father-in-law and at the time, Hamilton's controversial proposals for a national bank and federal assumption of state debts was before Congress. At the April 1791 elections, Republicans made gains in the legislature, including in the Federalist stronghold of New York City.
One political controversy arising during Clinton's fifth term was the sale of approximately 5.5 million acres of public lands, which Clinton referred to as "waste and unappropriated," for a return of $1,030,433. An acrimonious debate in the legislature included accusations that Clinton and his allies personally benefited from the sales, in particular the sale of the majority of the land (3,635,200 acres) to Alexander MacComb Sr., a land speculator from New York City. MacComb purchased the land for eight pence per acre, payable in five installments without interest. Ultimately, the land sale met the legislature's approval.

### Qualifications

Under Article VII of the New York Constitution of 1777, only certain male freeholders and certain freemen of Albany or New York City could vote:
    VII. That every male inhabitant of full age, who shall have personally resided within one of the counties of this State for six months immediately preceding the day of election, shall, at such election, be entitled to vote for representatives of the said county in assembly; if, during the time aforesaid, he shall have been a freeholder, possessing a freehold of the value of twenty pounds, within the said county, or have rented a tenement therein of the yearly value of forty shillings, and been rated and actually paid taxes to this State: Provided always, That every person who now is a freeman of the city of Albany, or who was made a freeman of the city of New York on or before the fourteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five, and shall be actually and usually resident in the said cities, respectively, shall be entitled to vote for representatives in assembly within his said place of residence.

## Federalist nomination
### Candidates

* John Jay, Chief Justice of the United States and former United States Secretary of State

#### Declined

* Robert R. Livingston, Chancellor of New York and former United States Secretary of Foreign Affairs
* Stephen van Rensselaer, State Senator from Albany
* Robert Yates, Chief Justice of the New York Supreme Court and nominee for Governor in 1789

### Nomination

After leading candidates declined to be considered, the Federalist Party nominated John Jay at a meeting in New York City on February 13. Chief Justice Robert Yates, an anti-federalist who had received cross-faction support to run against Clinton in 1789, attended and expressed his support for the Federalist ticket.

## Republican nomination
### Candidates

* George Clinton, incumbent Governor of New York since 1777

### Nomination

A Republican meeting was held in New York City on February 15, at which Governor Clinton was re-nominated for a sixth term.

## General election
### Candidates

* George Clinton, incumbent Governor of New York since 1777
* John Jay, Chief Justice of the United States and former United States Secretary of State

#### Declined

* Aaron Burr, United States Senator since 1791
Aaron Burr, who had been elected to the United States Senate the prior year, declined to stage a third-party bid despite urging from independents on the ground that he "did not belong to either party." He publicly announced that he would not be a candidate on March 15.

### Campaign

The 1792 campaign was marred by negative campaigning; Federalists attacked Clinton for his system of state patronage and his conduct in the MacComb land grant scandal. Clinton supporters responded that Jay was the captive of New York aristocracy and would subvert the principles of republican government.

### Results

Under state law, a joint committee of the two houses of the New York Legislature was responsible for canvassing the vote, consisting of six Assemblymen and the four members of the New York Senate. At the time of the 1792 election, the committee consisted of David Gelston, Thomas Tillotson, Melancton Smith, Daniel Graham, Pierre Van Cortlandt, Jr., David McCarty, Jonathan N. Havens, Samuel Jones, Isaac Roosevelt, Leonard Gansevoort and Joshua Sands.
The joint committee failed to agree on certification of the votes of Clinton, Ostego, and Tioga counties, disagreeing on whether the ballots cast had been delivered to the Secretary of State "by the sheriff or his deputy":
* The ballots from Otsego County were forwarded to the secretary of state by Sheriff Smith, who was holding over in office until the appointment of a successor after his term had expired.
* The ballot box from Clinton County was delivered to the secretary of state's office by a person who had received the box from the sheriff without a written deputation.
* The ballot box from Tioga County was delivered to the secretary of state by the clerk of the special deputy appointed by the sheriff.
The question was referred to United States Senators Rufus King and Aaron Burr for arbitration. King said all votes ought to be canvassed, while Burr said that only the ballots from Clinton County ought to be allowed. In Otsego, Jay had a majority of about four hundred and, if the votes in all three counties were counted, would have won the election notwithstanding the small majorities for Clinton in Tioga and Clinton.
Instead, a majority of the canvass committee (Gelston, Tillotson, Smith, Graham, Van Cortlandt, McCarty, Havens) decided to reject the ballots from all three counties and declared George Clinton duly elected governor by a majority of 108 votes. The minority (Jones, Roosevelt, Gansevoort, Sands) protested in writing. Jones, a Republican, crossed party lines to join the Federalist minority.
1792 New York gubernatorial election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic-Republican | George Clinton (incumbent) | 8,440 | 50.32% |
| | Federalist | John Jay | 8,332 | 49.68% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 16,772 | 100% |

## Aftermath

The 1792 election was significant in the development of political parties in New York; violent recriminations stemming from the contested result hardened the partisan feeling between Federalists and Republicans, alongside a growing divide in the parties' reactions to the French Revolution.
Governor Clinton was accused of usurpation and the canvass committee of having made a partisan decision against the wishes of the electorate. Chief Justice Jay, who was holding court in Vermont, returned to the state to public displays of support. On his arrival in New York City, a public meeting was called to express opposition to the canvassing committee's decision, which had been made "in contempt of the sacred voice of the people, in defiance of the Constitution, and in violation of the uniform practice and settled principles of law."
At the opening of the next legislature on November 6, Federalists raised the canvassing question by challenging the election of John Livingston to the Senate. The question was decided on strict party lines in favor of the Republicans, 12–11.
On November 13, eighty men claiming to be deputies appeared before the Assembly to "solicit a legislative remedy for the late outrage said to have been committed on the right of suffrage by a majority of the Canvassing Committee." The Assembly voted to approve the canvass. To counter the charge that they had subverted the election, Republicans brought articles of impeachment against William Cooper, an Ostego County judge accused of encouraging illegal voting for Jay and other misconduct. Although a grand jury had already dismissed similar charges, the Assembly investigation proceeded; it revealed no evidence and the charges were dropped. When Federalists regained the legislature in 1794, the charges were dismissed entirely as "frivolous and vexatious."