Like many of East Tennessee's pro-Union Democrats, Bridges supported the Northern Democratic candidate, Stephen Douglas, during the 1860 presidential election.
lˈaɪk mˈɛnɪəv ˈiːst tˌɛnəsˈiːz pɹˈoʊjˈuːniən dˈɛməkɹˌæts, bɹˈɪdʒᵻz səpˈoːɹɾᵻd ðə nˈɔːɹðɚn dˌɛməkɹˈæɾɪk kˈændᵻdˌeɪt, stˈiːvən dˈʌɡləz, dˈʊɹɹɪŋ ðə wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti pɹˌɛzɪdˈɛnʃəl ᵻlˈɛkʃən.