1841 Georgia gubernatorial election

The 1841 Georgia gubernatorial election was held on October 4, 1841, to elect the governor of Georgia. Incumbent Democratic Governor Charles McDonald won re-election defeating Whig State Rights candidate William C. Dawson.

Background
Until 1840 Georgian politics were dominated by two local parties, the Union party and the State Rights party. The Union party was the product of the forces of liberal democracy that brought white manhood suffrage and popular elections in the 1800s. The State Rights party, on the other hand, was a political anomaly whose conservative politics and organization were more closely related to those of the late 1800s.

After the 1836 presidential election the Union and State Rights parties slowly began to merge with the Democratic and Whig parties respectively. During the 1840 presidential election the Union party accepted Van Buren as their presidential nominee and changed their name to the Democratic Party of Georgia. The State Rights party leaders, however, were more apprehensive to amalgamation with the national Whig party.

Democratic

 * Charles McDonald, Incumbent Governor.

Whig

 * William C. Dawson, Former House Representative.