▁of ▁Wayne ▁County ▁from ▁ 1 8 4 7 ▁until ▁he ▁res igned ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 0 ▁and ▁moved ▁to ▁O sh k osh , ▁Wisconsin . ▁He ▁served ▁in ▁the ▁Wisconsin ▁State ▁Senate ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 3 ▁and ▁ 1 8 5 4 ▁as ▁a ▁Wh ig , ▁representing ▁Win ne b ago ▁County . ▁After ▁the ▁Wh igs ▁split ▁on ▁the ▁issue ▁of ▁sla very , ▁Bash ford ▁became ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁found ing ▁candidates ▁of ▁the ▁Republican ▁Party . ▁▁ 1 8 5 5 ▁election ▁sc andal ▁Bash ford ▁ran ▁for ▁governor ▁as ▁a ▁Republican ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 5 ▁and ▁was ▁at ▁first ▁declared ▁the ▁los er ▁to ▁the ▁Democratic ▁inc umb ent , ▁William ▁A . ▁Bar st ow , ▁by ▁a ▁mere ▁ 1 5 7 ▁votes . ▁ ▁However , ▁Bash ford ▁claimed ▁the ▁result ▁was ▁fra ud ul ent , ▁and ▁it ▁was ▁later ▁discovered ▁that ▁Bar st ow ' s ▁win ▁was ▁due ▁to ▁for ged ▁election ▁returns ▁coming ▁from ▁non - ex istent ▁prec inct s ▁in ▁the ▁sp ars ely ▁populated ▁northern ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁state , ▁in ▁addition ▁to ▁other ▁irregular ities ▁such ▁as ▁two ▁separate ▁can v ass ing ▁bo ards ▁claim ing ▁legit im acy ▁in ▁W au p aca ▁County . ▁With ▁rival ▁milit ia ▁units ▁conver ging ▁on ▁the ▁state ▁capit ol ▁in ▁Mad ison , ▁Bash ford ▁was ▁sw orn ▁in ▁quietly ▁in ▁the ▁ch amb ers ▁of ▁the ▁Wisconsin ▁Supreme