[3] By this point, the Constitutional Union Party had effectively dissolved with the loss of Union Democrats, and with the collapse of the Whigs following the passage of the Kansas–Nebraska Act in 1854, most Southern Whigs had joined the nativist American Party (Know Nothing).

As one of these people, Garnett Andrews became involved with the Nothing Know party and in 1855, after resigning his seat on the Northern Circuit, became the Know-Nothing (Sam)[a] candidate for the Georgia governorship.

[1][4] Around the same time, the Georgia State Temperance Convention met in Atlanta with the aim of getting involved in local politics.

Basil Hallam Overby, a lawyer from Atlanta, beat out the son of William H. Crawford for the nomination.

[5] On election day, 1 October 1855, Democratic nominee Herschel V. Johnson won re-election by a margin of 10,778 votes against his foremost opponent Know Nothing (Sam)[a] nominee Garnett Andrews, thereby continuing Democratic control over the office of Governor.