the 2nd district due to redistricting. With the full support of the delegate-rich Dodge County, Delaney believed he was well on his way to securing the nomination. But he was unable to find the handful of additional votes to secure a majority. At the district convention, voting deadlocked at 14-14 for over 1600 ballots. In the end, neither man won the nomination. On the 1601st ballot, two Bragg delegates from Waukesha voted for the relatively unknown Waukesha lawyer Daniel H. Sumner as the nominee, all of the Delaney delegates then followed suit, delivering the nomination to Sumner. Delaney and Bragg resumed their fight in the 1884 nominating contest. After two weeks and another 150 ballots, Bragg prevailed. It was later rumored that the two men had made a bargain which included a pledge from Bragg not to run again, and a pledge that Bragg would not interfere in the suggestion of nominees for political appointments in Dodge County in the event of a Democratic presidency. Bragg went on to win the general election, and Grover Cleveland was elected president the same year. Shortly thereafter, President Cleveland appointed Delaney United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. This was seen as a ploy by Bragg to disqualify Delaney from pursuing the congressional office again. Delaney's appointment was broadly denounced by Republicans and Democrats around the state. He was described as an inexperienced country lawyer with an offensive ego. The appointment did not dissuade Delaney from congressional aspirations, and he launched a campaign against Bragg in 1886 while still serving as U.S. attorney. Once again, the convention deadlocked for dozens of ballots. Finally, a delegate from Washington County switched his vote to Delaney, allowing him to secure a bare majority on the 216th ballot. After securing the nomination, Delaney resigned his office as U.S. attorney. At the culmination of his years-long campaign for Congress, Delaney was defeated in the general election by Republican Richard Guenther, who before that time was not even a resident of the 2nd congressional district. Guenther was assisted by a strong contingent of Democrats opposed to Delaney's election. Guenther served only one term and was the only Republican to win the seat under the 1882 maps. Move to Alaska Delaney's consolation after his defeat in 1886 was an appointment as collector of customs at the port of Sitka, in the District of Alaska. In 1889, President Cleveland