William Richardson Davie June 20, 1756 (Egremont, England)– November 29, 1820 (Chester County, SC)
VP candidate for Straight-Federalist 1812
Running mate with nominee: Rufus King (March 24, 1755 – April 29, 1827)
Popular vote: 5574 (2%) (Only six states selected electors by popular vote in 1812)
Electoral vote: 0/217
The campaign: Although DeWitt Clinton ran on a fusion coalition of Democratic-Republicans and Federalists, the more conservative members of the latter party refused to support him and ran Rufus King/William Richardson Davie on the Straight Federalist ticket. The actual Federalist Party did not nominate a candidate in 1812. Although the election was close, the Rufus/Richardson ticket did not impact the outcome and President Madison was re-elected.
Election history:
1786-1798, North Carolina House of Commons (Federalist)
1798, Governor of North Carolina (Federalist)
1804, US House Representative for NC (Federalist) - defeated
Other occupations: Attorney, Revolutionary War officer, Delegate 1787 Constitutional Convention (but was not present at the signing), 1799 Peace Commission to France, University of North Carolina founder and trustee 1789-1807, Treaty negotiator representing federal government with Tuscarora Indians (NC) 1802.
Buried: Waxhaw Presbyterian Church Cemetery, SC.
Owned 116 slaves at the time of his death.
Grand Master in the NC Masons, 1792-1798.
Declined an offer to command American forces during the War of 1812.
Racehorse enthusiast.
Retired to estate "Tivoli" which is now part of the Landsford Canal State Park in Chester County, SC.
Davie participated in creating the same Constitution that would have made him ineligible to be
President since he was not "natural born."
Graduated from the College of New Jersey (later Princeton), 1776.
Rumored to be a Deist.
A tall and elegant aristocrat, he distrusted the concept of popular voting.
