[dramatic piano music]
- Michael McManus: The election of 1855 involves the incumbent governor, William Barstow, and the first-ever Republican nominee Coles Bashford. The election initially was decided in favor of Barstow by 157 votes. The Republicans immediately cried "Fraud!" and sought to overturn the election. Barstow, the Democrat, was inaugurated. Bashford went over to the state supreme court and was sworn in also.
So for the next couple of months, Wisconsin actually had two governors. The court did adjudicate the case, uncovered the frauds, and Bashford, the Republican, ultimately took office. Turned out, Bashford was a pretty crooked guy. You know, he becomes involved in a massive railroad scandal. So Wisconsin, at least during that period, that decade, was not at all a clean state, politically. That reputation came much later.

[dreamy music]