Despite the presence of some irregularities, incumbent Whig governor Edward Everett refused to contest the results once a legislative committee dominated by his party accepted a report giving Morton 51,034 votes out of 102,066 cast.

[2] Abolitionist activists attempted to force attention on the issue, demanding that candidates for office answer questionnaires on the subject.

Marcus Morton was known to be personally opposed to slavery, but he did not often let the matter affect his politics, and expressed concern over abolitionist tactics.

[3] His Whig opponent since 1835 was Edward Everett, who once gave a speech expressing sympathy for the property rights of slaveholders and was not seen as sympathetic to the abolitionist cause.

[5] Despite the fact that their candidate was the first president of the American Temperance Society, Massachusetts Democrats led by George Bancroft argued that the liquor law was discriminatory against Catholic immigrants and poor urbanites.

[11] Morton's victory was driven by a large increase in turnout that exclusively favored Democrats, rather than a defection from existing Whig voters.

He recorded in his journal, "Principle is no longer sufficiently powerful even in Massachusetts to warrant an adherence to the strict provisions of the Constitution on a question of this kind.

"[11] Everett also refused to let his friend and Whig colleague Robert Charles Winthrop publish a partisan tribute to him, noting "I am willing to let the election go.

Morton won another single term in 1842, in a hotly contested election that was also decided by the state legislature.