1779 North Carolina gubernatorial election

←  1778 May 3, 1779 1780  →
Members of the General Assembly Majority of votes needed to win
Nominee Richard Caswell Party Radical–Moderate
Governor before election Richard Caswell Radical–Moderate Elected Governor Richard Caswell Radical–Moderate

A gubernatorial election was held in North Carolina on May 3, 1779. ^[1] The incumbent governor of North Carolina Richard Caswell was re-elected. ^[2]

Caswell led a coalition of Western radicals and Cape Fear River moderates that dominated North Carolina politics during the late 1770s. The contentious issue of confiscation contributed to conflict between the North Carolina Senate and the House of Commons during 1779 that mirrored the rising political factionalism in the legislature. Despite the challenge to the radical–moderate coalition posed by the conservative resurgence, Caswell remained personally popular notwithstanding the challenges facing the state government. ^[3]

The election was conducted by the North Carolina General Assembly in joint session. Caswell was elected unanimously on the first ballot. ^[1]

References

Bibliography

• Clark, Walter, ed. (1896). The State Records of North Carolina. Vol. 13, 1778–79. Winston, NC.
• Smith, Penelope Sue (1980). Creation of an American State: Politics in North Carolina, 1765–1789 (PhD thesis). Houston: Rice University.