N.T. Dodge: Election Record

This is a post that I have meant to put together for quite a while now. When I found the Salida newspapers contained many articles on my family a couple of years ago, I also found that they had numerous elections results for Nathaniel T. Dodge. He often ran for public office, primarily as a Justice of the Peace. He was a Justice of the Peace during the 1880's (the earliest record I found that lists him as a Justice of the Peace is from 1883). He was also elected as Constable in 1886.

As a local court judge, he would have notarized recorded documents, officiated weddings and remanded cases for trial. The Salida newspapers that I found (the Salida Record and the Salida Mail), list candidates, party affiliation, and election results from 1902 to 1920. Below are the election results from these elections. Each elected position he ran for was for a two-year term. For the elections in which he ran for Justice of the Peace, there were two Justices that were elected for each Judicial Precinct. Nathaniel ran for Justice of the Peace in Precinct No. 4 in Buena Vista.

1902 - Constable in Precinct No. 4: N.T. Dodge; Socialist Party. (lost election)

1904 - Commissioner of 1st District: N.T. Dodge; Socialist Party. (150 votes; lost election)

1906 - Justice of the Peace in Precinct No. 4: N.T. Dodge; Socialist Party (won election)

1908 - Justice of the Peace in Precinct No. 4: N.T. Dodge; Socialist Party (107 votes; lost election)

1910 - Justice of the Peace in Precinct No. 4: N.T. Dodge; Socialist Party (120 votes; lost election)

1914 - Justice of the Peace in Precinct No. 4: N.T. Dodge; Citizens Party (lost election)

1920 - Justice of the Peace in Precinct No. 4: N.T. Dodge; Republican Party (lost election)

Nathaniel ran for election for Justice of the Peace once again in 1924, this time on the Democratic ticket. This time, he tied for the second Justice seat in 1924. The Salida Mail recorded the following results from the 1924 election:

The Salida Mail: December 16, 1924: In the November election, there having been a tie in the number of votes received by I.C. Terry and N.T. Dodge, also the fact that Justice James Garrahan, having received a majority of votes over the other two candidates, and having been indorsed by both the Democratic and Republican parties, left a doubt with the canvasing board as to which two were elected. The question was submitted to the attorney general and the opinion given was that Mr. Garrahan was legally elected, which still leaves the question to be settled as to Terry and Dodge, which will be settled in one of the following ways: cut cards, draw straws, or run a foot race.

It is not known how the tiebreaker was resolved, but The Salida Mail from February 10, 1925 reports: The contest between N.T. Dodge and I.C. Terry for Justice of the Peace was finally settled by commissioners recognizing Mr. Dodge’s legal right to the office.

In January of 1926, Nathaniel resigned as Justice of the Peace. The Salida Mail from January 12, 1926, records: 'Judge N.T. Dodge handed his resignation as justice of the peace to the county commissioners, to take effect at once, on account of illness. Mr. Dodge was conveyed to the county hospital. I.C. Terry was appointed by the commissioners to fill the vacancy.' He passed away at the Rio Grande Hospital in Salida in April of 1926.