Editing Caleb Strong (section)

==First term as governor==
In the election of 1800, Strong was nominated by the Federalists as their candidate for governor; his principal opponent was [[Elbridge Gerry]], nominated by the Democratic-Republicans. Strong was criticized by his opponents for his lack of military service and for the fact that he was a lawyer; he countered by asserting his patriotism through his association with Joseph Hawley. His popularity in the western part of the state was decisive: the wide margin by which he won there overcame the smaller advantage by which Gerry carried the east.<ref>Morse, pp. 178–180.</ref> Acting Governor [[Moses Gill]] died ten days before Strong took office at the end of May.<ref>Hart, p. 3:455.</ref>

[[Image:BustElbridgeGerry.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Bust of [[Elbridge Gerry]], Strong's frequent gubernatorial opponent ([[Herbert Adams (sculptor)|Herbert Adams]], 1892)]]
Strong won annual reelection to the governor's seat until 1807. During this tenure, the state introduced a new penitentiary system and reformed the judiciary, reducing the number of judges.<ref>Hart, pp. 3:455–456.</ref> Strong's time as governor was also marked by virulent political debate in the state, principally over foreign policy related to British interference with Massachusetts maritime trade. That interference was a consequence of the ongoing [[Napoleonic Wars]] engulfing Europe. Over the years of Strong's tenure, the Republicans gradually gained in power both nationally and in Massachusetts.<ref>Hart, pp. 3:456–457.</ref>

In the 1806 election, the Republicans secured a majority in the Massachusetts assembly, and the gubernatorial election was notably close. Running mainly against [[James Sullivan (governor)|James Sullivan]], Strong barely received a majority of the votes cast. With fewer than 200 votes in the balance, the Republican-controlled legislature scrutinized the returns in a partisan manner, discarding ballots that had misspelled Strong's name while retaining those that misspelled Sullivan's and performing tallies in ways that favored their candidate. This process concluded with a finding that Strong in fact lacked a majority of votes, which was required to carry the election, as opposed to the modern [[First-past-the-post voting|plurality requirement]]. Strong's Federalist allies in the legislature were able to publicize the partisan nature of the analysis, resulting in a hostile public backlash. He was proclaimed the winner after further, less biased, analysis corrected the count in his favor.<ref>Morison, p. 272.</ref> However, in the 1807 election the rising tide of Republicanism swept Strong (along with other New England Federalists) out of office.<ref>Hart, p. 3:457.</ref> Federalists asked him to run in 1808, but he refused, noting that he had "done his part" and that his home base in Hampshire County was strongly Federalist.<ref>Lodge, p. 304.</ref>