On March 3, 1845, President John Tyler signed legislation admitting Florida as the 27th state in the Union, setting the stage for the young state’s first election just months later. Appointed territorial Governor John Branch fixed May 26, 1845, as the date for Florida’s first statewide vote, asking citizens to elect a governor, other state officers, and to ratify the state constitution drafted at the 1838 St. Joseph Convention.
Hernando County, then known as Benton County, was among the 25 Florida counties that participated in that historic election. The county was divided into four precincts: Augusta, Bates, Hammock, and Homosassa. A total of 83 eligible voters cast ballots across those precincts, making their voices heard in one of Florida’s most consequential democratic moments.
Democratic candidate William D. Moseley won the gubernatorial race across Florida, but Benton County voters gave him some of his strongest support statewide. Moseley received 78 of the county’s 82 gubernatorial votes, a remarkable 95% of the total, while his Whig opponent trailed far behind. The Augusta Precinct alone cast all 16 of its votes for Moseley, a unanimous show of support from that community.
Among those 16 Augusta Precinct voters was William H. Mein, the great-grandfather of Hernando Sun contributor Blake Bell, who uncovered this local connection to Florida’s founding election. Moseley went on to become Florida’s first governor, and the strong backing he received from what is now Hernando County reflects the deep civic roots the region has carried since its earliest days. Florida itself holds a unique place in American history as home to the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in the United States, with La Florida governed for centuries before American statehood was ever a concept.
The story of Benton County’s participation in the 1845 election offers a rare and personal glimpse into Hernando County’s origins. Residents interested in learning more about Florida’s path to statehood can explore resources through the Florida Memory Project and the Hernando Sun, which continues to document the county’s rich historical record.
Originally reported by Hernando Sun
Sources: Hernando Sun
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