Governorship of Massachusetts
In 1795 some factions of the Federalist Party sought to promote Sumner as a candidate for governor, but he was not formally nominated, and Governor Samuel Adams was reelected. The following year Sumner was actively promoted by the Federalists, but Adams was able to prevail by a comfortable margin. The aging Adams' popularity, however, was declining, and he decided not to run for reelection in 1797. A number of popular figures were raised as nominees, and in that year's election, Sumner won the vote with 15,000 out of a total of 25,000 votes cast. On June 2 Sumner rode from his home in Roxbury accompanied by 300 citizens on horseback to the State House in Boston, where the Secretary of the Commonwealth proclaimed his governorship from the eastern balcony. Sumner was the last governor to preside in what is now called the Old State House as the seat of government was moved to the New State House the following year.
Sumner was reelected in 1798 and 1799. His popularity as governor was seen by his garnering a larger share of the vote for his third term, where he won 17,000 out of 21,000 votes cast, receiving unanimous votes in 180 towns out of 393 in the state. However, he never assumed the duties of office during this term as he was on his death bed at the time. In order to avoid constitutional issues surrounding the gubernatorial succession, he managed to take the oath of office in early June.
Increase Sumner died in office from angina pectoris, aged 52 on 7 June 1799. His funeral, with full military honors was on June 12, and was attended by United States President John Adams. The funeral procession which included four regiments of militia ran from the governor's Roxbury mansion to a service at the Old South Meeting House. He is interred at the northerly corner of the Granary Burying Ground in Boston. The lieutenant governor, Moses Gill, became acting governor and ran the state until elections were held in 1800.
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