▁B anks ▁ran ▁as ▁a ▁Republican ▁against ▁inc umb ent ▁Know - Nothing ▁Governor ▁Henry ▁J . ▁Gard ner ▁and ▁won ▁a ▁decis ive ▁victory . ▁ ▁From ▁ 1 8 5 6 ▁until ▁ 1 8 7 6 , ▁Massachusetts ▁was ▁among ▁the ▁most ▁Republican ▁states ▁in ▁the ▁nation ▁in ▁president ial ▁elections . ▁During ▁a ▁six teen - year ▁period ▁from ▁the ▁on set ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁Civil ▁War ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 1 ▁until ▁ 1 8 7 6 , ▁every ▁state wide ▁and ▁federal ▁elected ▁office ▁in ▁Massachusetts ▁was ▁held ▁by ▁a ▁Republican . ▁ ▁While ▁the ▁party ▁held ▁a ▁mon opol y ▁on ▁power ▁in ▁the ▁state , ▁there ▁were ▁internal ▁divisions ▁between ▁the ▁radical ▁abol ition ist ▁fa ction , ▁represented ▁by ▁Sum ner , ▁and ▁the ▁moder ate ▁fa ction , ▁represented ▁by ▁B anks . ▁As ▁Governor , ▁B anks ▁had ▁a ▁difficult ▁time ▁appe asing ▁the ▁more ▁radical ▁Sum ner ▁fa ction . ▁B anks ' s ▁stated ▁opposition ▁to ▁the ▁milit ant ▁abol ition ist ▁John ▁Brown ▁and ▁support ▁for ▁a ▁state ▁constitution al ▁am end ment ▁requiring ▁newly ▁natural ized ▁citizens ▁to ▁wait ▁two ▁years ▁before ▁becoming ▁el ig ible ▁to ▁vote ▁each ▁drew ▁support ▁from ▁the ▁more ▁conserv ative ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁party . ▁ ▁As ▁national ▁t ensions ▁over ▁sla very ▁grew ▁more ▁fra ug ht , ▁the ▁state ▁Republican ▁Party ▁became ▁more ▁radical . ▁B anks ▁briefly ▁attempted ▁to ▁launch ▁a ▁president ial ▁campaign ▁in ▁ 1 8