Harrison County attorney Pendleton Murrah, backed by Incumbent Governor Francis Lubbock who chose not to run for a second term, defeated perennial candidate Thomas J.

[3] Chambers hurt his own credibility during the campaign, throwing out accusations that statewide newspapers were conspiring against him to elect Murrah and that President Davis had dishonourably declined to respect his pleas for an army commission.

His base in this election was largely made up of a diverse protest vote that not only reflected resistance to conscription and annoyance with impressment, but also expressed the convictions of outspoken Texas-firsters and also the hopes of quiescent reconstructionists.

[3] The Murrah campaign made a more practical or sensible effort, benefiting from the endorsement of Incumbent Governor Francis Lubbock and his supporters, most of whom were non-slaveholders, whilst Chambers carried the slaveholder vote.

Murrah also received the backing of the Confederate military authorities in Shreveport, Louisiana who aided his candidacy by avoiding acts that could possibly turn discontented voters to Chambers, stipulating that they would not impress slaves and cotton in East Texas until after the election.