The 1868 Louisiana gubernatorial election was held over two days, April 17 and 18, the same days that voters were asked to ratify the new
Louisiana Constitution of 1868, which established the civil rights of
African Americans. As a result of this election
Henry Clay Warmoth was elected
Governor of Louisiana. At age 26 he was the youngest governor in the state's history. The result was a lop-sided result for Warmoth because of the
Republican Party's overwhelming support among
African Americans, who were a majority of the state's population at the time.