1861 Texas gubernatorial election
On August 5, 1861, Texas voters held a three-way race for governor. The candidates were Francis Lubbock, Edward Clark, and Thomas J. Chambers, all independents who supported secession and the Confederacy in the Civil War.
Clark was the incumbent governor, having become chief executive after Sam Houston was removed for taking an oath of loyalty to the Confederacy. Houston and many Unionists did not recognize that removal.
Although Lubbock also supported secession, he was backed by Houston and some Unionists who preferred him to Clark. Lubbock won by a very small margin: 21,854 votes (38.1%) for Lubbock, 21,730 votes (37.8%) for Clark, and 13,759 votes (24.0%) for Chambers, a margin of about 124 votes.
Francis Lubbock became governor, heading Texas during the early years of the Civil War.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 07:49 (CET).