"[53]

Governor of Tennessee (1853–1857)
Portrait of Johnson, 1856, attributed to William Brown Cooper
If Johnson considered retiring from politics upon deciding not to seek reelection, he soon changed his mind.[54] His political friends began to maneuver to get him the nomination for governor. The Democratic convention unanimously named him, though some party members were not happy at his selection. The Whigs had won the past two gubernatorial elections, and still controlled the legislature.[55] That party nominated Henry, making the "Henry-mandering" of the First District an immediate issue.[55] The two men debated in county seats the length of Tennessee before the meetings were called off two weeks before the August 1853 election due to illness in Henry's family.[54][56] Johnson won the election by 63,413 votes to 61,163; some votes for him were cast in return for his promise to support Whig Nathaniel Taylor for his old seat in Congress.[57][58]
Tennessee's governor had little power: Johnson could propose legislation but not veto it, and most appointments were made by the Whig-controlled legislature. Nevertheless, the office was a "bully pulpit" that allowed him to publicize himself and his political views.